Eternity
by Alexathenle
Summary: Love. War. Like two children playing a game. Don't play their game. A lover, A brother, A traitor, A soulmate & A girl. Don't play their game.
1. Prologue

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'Touch me and I will scream

Kiss me and I will fall

Love me and I will die'

The stark white danced keenly infront of her eyes as she slowed to a stop the pulse beating her brain a thousand times a second. Head level with knees, vision swimming vividly a front her eyes, breath pulled in as if struggling not to be her last. 

In her imagination a creak shocked her ears, her body span round to counter it but a dead silent corridor of start white met her eyes. The wide eyes of only a child swept up the corridor dissecting every darkened doorway and hallowed light, but every darkened doorway and hallowed light was a repeat of the last darkened doorway and hallowed light. All the same. Never ending. 

Her body and sight dropped once more to the floor levelling her body as the breath and composure was once more attempted to be regained. Contrary to the desire both actions froze on turning, as the black expensive leather shoes fixed in the girl's mind and were recognised. The emotion first felt after the silence was not of panic, for that emotion had already been to well worn that evening but more of a accepted sorrow. _Tonight I will die, but I don't want to._

Her eyes did not bother to rise to meet his for the law of Murphy told her already of their colour and definition. Instead her body tensed for one final flight of fear from the unknown. She released the power of her entire natural instinct of survival into a run that would have over doubled her personal best in any previous better conditioned run. 

His laughter and joy at her final flight echoed of the walls and hit her bruised body with a haunting menace leaving her only to run faster, rounding a corner in the never ending hotel of corridors. A break from the never ending doorways came as her bouncing vision fixed upon a balcony leading into the starred night sky. With an added veracity she reached it jumping up to the plastered white wall supporting her weight with her under-grown arms.

The night air pulled back her hair from her face and she let in a gasp of the cool sea-salted air. She barely paused for a fraction of a second but the pleasure of being alive wrecked her body a thousand times in that time. Her eyes which had been closed to the pleasure opened again searching for a way off the first story to the ground below without the aide of a body bag. 

No stairs or fire escapes were in sight but below the soft lap of the swimming pool bathed in moonlight brought a touch of hope. It was a good drop liable to break necks even if she ever managed to jump out far enough to reach the soft water. A glance behind her proved her time frail and low. Pulling her legs up to join her body, releasing her weary arms of their strain, she crouched like a frog for a second gathering power before springing away. Her last sight of the endless corridors was centred with her torturer in black's eyes gleaming a florissant pale blue shining under the moonlight almost as strongly as his white ivory fangs.

Her body plunged into the ice water a sharp pain ripping through her body which was instantly numbed as the last of her body was submerged. A small wave of red water passed her eyes like smoke ascending to the heavens. Her body was frozen in the position she had met the water with. 

It was a couple of seconds before she realised she couldn't move or breath. It was a couple more before she realised she didn't want to. 

More red water passed her face before her eyes closed completely. She was numb and didn't feel when her body hit the pool floor. The face of her first love passed her mind and inwardly she smiled. She was at peace perhaps. Just for a little while. 

-*- 


	2. Act One: Drink

Thanks to Practikal Magik- forever a loyal friend.

Drink is the curse and saviour of humanity

The wine glass shattered into a thousand pieces on the wooden planked flooring that lay beneath her feet. Small rivulets of cherry coloured liquid ran down between the planks and dispersed from beneath the sharp cut shards. She stepped back away from the mess her hand to her mouth, mascara'd eyes wide. "Opps." She whispered as a ferocious looking barman came passed her bending over the mess. She retreated again this time tripping over the barstool that had originally wobbled to cause the accident. 

She stumbled hastily grabbing a bleach blonde haired young man's posh navy shirt to stay upright. His expression of minor disgust and abhorrence to her was survice to make her see the humour in the unfortunate series of events. She giggled inanely pulling away from him and almost falling out of the bar where she was joined a second later by an equally giggly friend. Supporting each other they turned to hobble down the street when the friend remembered a purse and hurried back falling over the very same stool that the former had earlier. This naturally caused another bout of severe giggling. 

The former then turned her back to her friend stretching out her arms to the welcome embrace of the night smiling like a madwomen. She absorbed the moment for a second before turning back to her friend who was stumbling out singing a faded pop song from many years past. The former joined her once again both supported each other as the hobbled in black stilettos down the street laughing and singing. 

They did not, and could not if they had wanted to, walk far. The end of the road held a sign with 'Black Dreams' displayed and a picture of a black flower underneath. They reached the bouncers with little falling over and bad singing. Knowing the pair the bouncers merely raised their eyebrows before letting them pass (fall) in. 

The pair grabbing each others arms for security descended the stairs with little difficulty until they reached the bottom both assuming in the blackness that there was still a step to take and falling, both, onto the hard concrete which was in place of the extra step. Strong arms gripped round her waist and pulled her into an upright position her feet not, even with the inch heals, reaching the floor. The arms were fastened around her waist pressing her body tight against the offender's. 

She brought her gaze up to his smiling coyly through straw shoulder-length blonde hair. He, in his turn, looked distinctly unimpressed. She smiled at him naturally and threw her arms around him neck holding him tightly to her. His body was taut as he remained unresponsive to the girl. She felt him moving beneath her and raised her head from his shoulder to see him carrying her to a darkened corner. 

She saw her friend being manhandled in the same way by two males who were evidently enjoying her stupor. The girl frowned but could not think on such matters for long when she was being carried in such a way. She felt her carrier's grip loosening around her and she slid down him so her feet could support her weight. She wobbled slightly before being pushed down into a low booth which had been the carrier's destination. 

The booth was already occupied by one girl who sat sulkily in a corner playing with any guy that spotted her by look and mouthing, a short young looking boy of fifteen who was wearing a black hoodie with the logo SLIPKNOT blazed on the front and smoking, and a sarcastic looking male of nineteen-ish years who slouched and grinned meanly at the drunk girl. A small push in the back prompted her to sit down which she did more heavily than she intended too and she moved along to make space for her carrier and the three arriving. 

Her carrier lightly placed his arm around her waist as they shuffled the remaining inches to allow the others on. She smiled up at him before turning to check on her friend who was sat in between the two males who had carried her. Both were smiling at each other with mischief in their eyes. 

"Eternity, drunk I see. I never will understand the need for humans to kill themselves. I am more than happy to do it without even charging." The aforementioned sarcastic prick said slurring slightly and almost leering as he sat up straight and drank from his iced sparkling water. The girl, who is now known as Eternity, wriggled slightly uncomfortably in her seat now less merry with the drink than a second before. 

"Leave her be, Carthage, she's just having fun." Eternity's carrier reproached coldly the attacker named Carthage Prinze. In thanks Eternity leant her head on her defender's shoulder peacefully smiling happy with the world once more. Her defender being Valerio Pazler, a male witch who's calm control with an underlying hint of savagery led to a feeling of respect from even the most arrogant of vampires and therefore his position as the Daybreak squad leader. 

The groups eyes has instantly fallen to the floor at the clash of the titans except the teenager in the hoodie who was fixed on cigarette he was holding with interest. "You know I never would have smoked before I was cha-" He was cut off by a group sigh and rolling of eyes but he doggedly continued as soon as their attention dwindled a second later "But now it really doesn't matter any more."

Valerio, the leader, looked with annoyance at Carthage, the rebel vampire, "Did you have to introduce him to that filthy habit?" He asked with distinct disgust as the smoke wafted near him and his partner. 

"He's just having fun" Carthage said impersonating Valerio with a twisted grin. "Anyway I didn't know he'd be such a fucking wanker about it." Eternity looked over worried about an offended Ollie, the young vampire smoker, but he was once more absorbed in his cigarette. She laughed to herself and lay her head back against the headrest, still giddy from the drink. 

The pulse of the music penetrated her soul and she felt her foot tapping against the cold concerete floor as the base came louder. The flashing lights of red, blue, purple, pink, violet, silver intermixed with the pulsing base and rifts beckoned to her from across the room. "Hayley you want to dance?" She asked her also drunk friend, but Hayley was too interested in a drink of the mischievous guys had bought her to care. She sulked her foot tapping harder and the desire became stronger. 

"I'll dance." The sultry tones of Holly came to her from across the table. Eternity looked mildly surprised; as a rule Holly didn't so anything so degrading but perhaps she just wanted to have a bite to eat. Eternity nodded and climbed up the edge of their booth. She jumped onto the other side just as her hand was grasped. She looked back to see Valerio holding her hand and looking unemotionally at her. He squeezed her hand lightly before letting it drop and turning back to the others, all the while keeping the same deadpan expression. 

Eternity turned to the dance floor and Holly who was looking at her as if she were the lowest form of scum. Holly had been gagging for Valerio for at least a year before Eternity had come on the scene. But Valerio had politely ignored any advances made as far as Eternity could see. Beside the point according to her sources Holly had gone for Carthage before Valerio but he had turned her down point blank. He had naturally been her first choice, as vampires prefer vampires.

They joined just as a song that everyone knew and chanted the chorus too slipped over the sound system. Eternity joined in with a friendly looking boy and began screaming the words and jumping about like everyone else. Holly just stood there and looked to die for. 

Quickly the beat changed into a higher velocity and cheers sounded as the melody kicked in. Hungry vampires, drunk humans and horny shifters all joined to one pulse of the music. 

After an uncountable amount of time, the alcohol had messed with any mental clock she held, a tap came on her shoulder. Stopping dancing with the shifter she had been dancing with she turned to see Starkers, one of the mischievous two from earlier, who looked rather flustered. He smiled briefly at her dance partner showing his fangs which made the shifter run pretty fast tail between legs before tugging her forwards. 

"We're leaving, darling, just thought I'd ask you to join us." He commented dragging her forcedly towards the toilets. She saw Wellies at the door looking almost anxious if he was capable of that emotion. His shifter nose kept flickering like the dog he was. Starkers sped up as they reached the toilet door where Wellies was waiting. 

Eternity who had just regained her self-awareness, although not all of it, yanked her arm back from Starkers almost wrenching free from his grasp. He stopped for a second as if puzzled before yanking back, throwing her off her feet forwards so she found herself in front of him. He smiled at her as if to say 'problem solved' and dragged her onwards into the males toilets. She closed her eyes on entrance and called out for an explanation. 

All the answer she got was two arms picking her up and carrying her. With her free arm she hit at the offender her other still covered her eyes. She opened them to the cold black of the night as a rush of cold air hit her and her carrier. She shivered involuntarily and looked round searching for a light to see by. The only one she found was the harsh light of the toilets in the club behind which framed her carriers face making it impossible to see him properly. She couldn't even tell if it was a vampire or witch. She saw Wellies and Starkers troop out the toilet as a sudden panic hit her. 

Who was it? 

She would have known had it been Valerio, his clone, his clothes, his ... perfection. No whoever this was was coarser and unpleasant. His clone was a 'real' man's clone. It was too tall to be Ollie so that must mean...

"Let me down now!" Eternity cried out as the vampire let out a laugh. He dropped her instantly and she landed in a heap on the floor. Behind him Wellies and Starkers were sniggering. The door behind them opened sharply and the figure of her drunk friend Hayley fell into the alleyway. Wellies caught her as she fell and she looked dazedly up at him with a mindless grin. 

"I always liked you." She slurred slightly putting on a posh upper class accent. Wellies raised an eyebrow before sweeping her off her feet and starting down the alleyway followed by a mirthful Starker. 

"Coming milady?" Carthage mockingly asked her whilst bowing to her with chivalrous grace. She grimaced and stumbled to her feet wavering slightly until his finely muscled tanned arm pulled her up to his body. His cold touch made her shiver against the soft summer's breeze. Suddenly very sober in mind she walked as straight and unwaveringly as she could down the street, his arm barely used to keep her upright. 

Time seemed to slow to the speed of a gay summer's walk It seemed more than half an hour before they reached the end of the dark, rain wet back alley. When they reached the end of the quiet alleyway and were forced to enter the neon lighted, rushing, busy street it seemed for a slip second, in one of those uncensored pure desired irrational thoughts to be a shame to Eternity. But she quickly squashed the rebellious thought and released herself of Carthage's grip.

Her eyes, now loose, searched instantly for Valerio but his face was not in the crowd they found themselves now a part of. "Where's Palzer?" Carthage asked calmly as ever also noticing Valerio's absence but for different reasons. Hayley hiccuped and stumbled to the edge of the road choking up sick as she did. The vampires looked away in disgust. 

"Still inside." Starkers informed him looking gravely up at the sign 'Black Dreams' with almost concern. Carthage smirked and clicked his tongue. Eternity's eyes widened and her body instantly started towards the club, but strong arms wrapped around her waist, holding her tight. She froze in hope as the door swung open once more, but only Holly came out looking very grave. 

"Boss." She nodded to Carthage who raised an eyebrow at her ripped shirt revealing a laced red bra. She raised one back and air kissed. Eternity who had turned to see what news Holly had brought noticed her captor, Starkers, and his friend Wellies both panting like dogs at a bitch in heat at the mere sight of Holly's breasts. 

"Where's Palzer?" Carthage asked looking totally blank to her and his team's agog. Holly adjusted her top concealing a bit more of her healthily cleavage but not much before turning to look up at Carthage with her ruby red eyes and soot-like eyelashes. 

"After Hellfire came in-" Eternity drew her breath sharply and stood up straight. Her hand clasped at the shirt of Starkers and she shivered. Hellfire and Valerio in the club with no backup? Holly shot Eternity a look of disgust "We got separated. He had about twenty cronies. I am lucky to be out." She gave Carthage a look clearly saying 'you should be grateful for me being alive' which he clearly ignored.

The door burst open from behind them and the black clothed figure of Ollie came stumbling out. His mouse brown shortish hair was matted in blood, his hands were covered in the red liquid and he held them in front of him like they were alien to him. His mouth was open and his face showed only absolute horror. 

"They... They killed him. Valerio. He's dead." 

-*-

Review and I will update faster...

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	3. Act One: Life

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Never since has any person been so worthy of a life as he

The world seemed to pass very slowly before her vision. She was aware she still clasped Starkers's shirt. She was still aware that cars were passing. She was still aware that the breeze was throwing her skirt behind her. But she couldn't feel them. It was like she was dying- no sense of touch or taste. She could still see but it was like a barrier between her and the world. Anything that happened out there could not touch her. She was beyond pain.

"Hellfire he stabbed him right through the heart. With a big silver dagger. The blood... I tried. But he looked at me after with the dagger.. and and I just ran. I couldn't. I couldn't." The boy was almost in tears, Eternity almost reached out to comfort him. Poor boy. It was so sad for him. She looked round the group. Holly was staring open mouthed, her ruby lipstick rubbed off around the outside of her perfect skin. Wellies was staring steadily at Ollie before closing his eyes and turning away. Starkers was frozen, his arms still holding her she noticed but only vaguely. 

And Carthage. He stood looking at Ollie with almost a hint of boredom. "Well then," He began putting on a slight Texas drawl, "we'd better go." He turned and began to walk towards were the cars were parked. Eternity blinked once before turning back to look at the club. It was just the same as it had been a second ago. Ollie had sunk to his knees and almost crawled after Eternity not meeting her eyes.

She felt a slight tug on her arm and Starkers's gruff words. "Come on." She turned back to him, but was distracted by Wellies picking Hayley out of the curb where she had collapsed after puking. At last she looked up at Starkers and dipped her head in a twisted nod. He led her away, her mind blank as a black hole. 

They reached the cars and Holly took up the driving seat in one with Hayley, Wellies and Ollie in with her. Carthage took the other, Starkers and Eternity as passengers. The ride was silent except for the sounds of a one sided conversation from Carthage on his mobile to their boss. The clock by the heater read 02:34 and Eternity felt her body dropping as the alcohol wore off. 

The ride was fast and winding. Carthage was apparently keen not to be followed so kept the car moving at a radical pace even though the turns called for a slow and patient hand. They arrived at their house a little before half past three. The house was cloaked in darkness as well as a fanatical amount of wards. 

The Daybreak safe house was owned by Daybreakers Inc, a building company and used by said company to house it's temporary staff who lived in other areas. Or at least that was the story that the people in charge of the area held. In reality the Circle Daybreak used it as an occasional safe house and base of operations in the particular city in which outskirts it was located. 

A building of at least hundred and fifty years it was tall and grand with five countable chimney's from the back. Big windows and rustic doorways ensured that if any Night Worlder was to pass the thought of it being a safe house for the illustrious Circle would never cross their minds. It was more like a posh businessman's home.

But to Eternity at that point it seemed very unfriendly. No lights were on, the howling of the next door neighbours dog warned them off their proximity to him and as soon as she stepped out the car she fell awkwardly upon the concrete floor beneath her. Looking up beneath her golden hair that had suddenly fallen in front of her eyes she saw Carthage shoot her a look of disgust before heading up the driveway in the right direction. Of course in this light he could see. Starkers emerged from the other side of the car apparently not noticing her on the floor and complacently followed Carthage into the darkness. 

She struggled to her feet, brushing off the first raindrop that fell on her cheek. She stumbled, her ankle hurt slightly on the fall, supporting herself on the edge of the car she found the raised path leading to the front door before falling over once more onto the rough paved slabs beneath. The subtle click of the front door aided her efforts to reach a steady standing position as the second raindrop fell. She leant down on a sudden inspiration and removed her shoes, the heals being of 7cm in height and somewhat precarious. 

Eternity picked up her shoes by the straps before the third raindrop fell and hobbled, the pain in her ankle was severe, towards the door. She felt two arms wrap about her and lift her up, by the cologne it was Starkers who out of character said nothing to her as he lifted her gently into the house. The fourth raindrop coldly hit her cheek with a cruel vengeance. Starker's face swam infront of her vision as he held her shoulders shaking her slightly and talking to her. But it was vague. Her mind was clouded as the fifth raindrop fell.

It was raining indoors??? 

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You're crying. The logical fact arrived to her brain with unearthly clarity in a befuddled brain which had no intention of letting itself feel pain. Carthage came into sight beneath the steep staircase. Her eyes dropped to the floor as the raindrops began beating her cheeks with a cold fury. She shrank into herself the floor suddenly only a foot away her arms grasping at something hard and something soft her eyes fixed upon the little table, her voice. Her voice crying an incomprehensible sound of pure pain. 

Sorrow came driving like the sea into her, freeing her from any bounds of self restraint. Her emotions welled up to fight the driving tide but were swept back like a pebble on the beach. Her body curled up upon itself, fists beating the floor with the rabid fury. But nothing could soothe her pain when all she could think of.

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He's dead.

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He's dead

Never again will I feel his soft touch flirting across my back whilst we talk of the stars. Never can I ever be touched by his mere presence. Never can I feel his warmth of body and soul again. Never again.

Her body let out another cry of pain but this time mixed with disappointment and sorrow. In the distance she felt her body being lifted and carried, but it didn't matter. He mattered and now he was gone.

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Are you flirting with me Ms Tippet? Hold on, damn it, hold on Hold on I want to check if there's a brain in there Calm down Etty, there's nothing we can do now Look what you did! Women... Etty! Etty! I have a surprise for you What are you doing in my bed little miss Etty? You know I love you so shut up and watch the damn movie Never forget I care no matter what happens tonight... Always know that I love you 

Valerio Pazler had survived that night. He'd come home from the worst night world raid untouched with only a small burn on the lower part of his shoulder blade. The next night, tonight, he hadn't come home at all. They'd all been so relieved, well maybe not Carthage. With Valerio out the way Carthage was leader of their squad. Carthage had always wanted power.

Eternity's mind slowly drew back into her body and her senses returned in a foggy forigen way. She was in a stark white washed room on a double bed, which occupied most of the room. The room had, from the rocking horse in one corner and holes where the bars had been across the window, been a nursery many years before. The room was marginally alien to her and looked, although there were a couple of items of clothing hanging in the wardrobe, unlived in. 

Which was slightly odd as it was Eternity's room. The few clothes were hers and the rare other items scattered about were also hers. It caused a little ripple of fear being in this room in the blackened almost dawn. It was so cold and unfriendly. She crept up off the high white metal framed bed and limped down onto the floor wincing at the pain her ankle caused her. 

She struggled down the little flight of stairs that led to her little nursery before hobbling across the bare space at the head of the stairs and beyond it to the master room. The handle creaked it's familiar sound, the floorboard moaned their little tune and relief spread over her like the rushing day. She hastily shut the door and ran (hobbled) as fast as she could to the bed which welcoming duvet and blanket cushioned her. 

She hollowed out a little space from the duvet and pillows so it surrounded her on all sides except one which looked out into the room. On a chair directly opposite was a pair of men's black trousers neatly placed ready for the next day. On top was a red ¾ length t-shirt with half a sleeve ripped off in the name of fashion. In the wardrobe hung her clothes next to his. In the en-suite sat her toothbrush next to his. As much as that nursery belonged to her, this room was where she lived. With him. 

She bit back her tears with a self-hatred for being so sentimental. She was seventeen. You don't find THE one at seventeen. You don't become permanently scarred because your boyfriend d- goes away. You don't fall in love at seventeen it was ridiculous. And you definitely don't fall in love at thirteen. Even- no you just don't fall in love at seventeen it's not possible! 

She angrily wiped away the tear as her defence crumbled. Any human is capable of love at any age. And if she didn't love him, why did it feel as if it was the end of everything? 

This pain was beyond belief. And it wasn't even hurting. It was just an empty pain, pouring out all her emotions out of her body. 

And then it was gone. The pain. It was gone. 

It was a relief. Eternity closed her eyes and let her body fall into a deep and dreamless sleep.

-*-

Dover rubbed his eyes to the new dawn. It was frightening in colour, red with orange flecks. Looking almost as if they sky and sun were angry with the world. He grinned to himself before pulling himself up. In his left hand he fingered the outside of the card, running his thumb across the sharp edge. He opened the door to his office and walked down the two flights of stairs to the basement picking up the high power torch as he did so. The door to the basement was solid oak, out of place in the modern building, and opened with a large creek. 

He shut it behind himself joining his friend at the bottom of the stairs. His friend grinned with vicious bloodlust at his boss before turning back to their captured. There were two captured in the basement, both chained in wooden stocks impossible to escape from even if they were not vampire. "My friend, may I be the first to welcome you to Midday Sun." Dover told the nearest of the two vampires.

The vampire looked up at with ravaged fury and many at such a look would have slunk away but Dover just laughed. "It's such a shame," He commented through loud bursts of laughter. "That you can't enjoy the many hospitalities of Midday Sun longer like our friend over here." He moved the torch to directly in the eyes of the other who's eyes reflected the light as he dived forward hissing and screaming, trying to break to wooden bonds he was bound with. 

"Never the less I am glad you have come. It means so much to me, us." He stepped back to indicate his friend who at that precise moment shot the wooden bow, from the crossbow he'd picked up whilst Dover was talking, deep into the heart of the vampire. Dover reached down a second after the corpse began to mummify and picked up a wooden stake. 

Walking confidently up to the vampire he lent over and drew the circle with the MS coming out on the beast's forehead. Stepping back he admired his work before turning to his friend. "Take our friend here to the back streets and leave him outside a Black Rose club." His friend nodded and moved to uncuff the body with the wooden key before hauling him up the stairs. Dover did not stay to watch.

As he ascended the second staircase a voice hailed him. He turned to see a Daybreak spy climbing wearily up the stairs after him. He was out of breath and pink in the face. "Sir, you wanted to be kept up-to-date with the latest Daybreak news?" He asked whilst leaning on his knees in an attempt to regain breath. 

Dover did not bother to answer and the spy continued. "Valerio Palzer was killed in a club this evening by, err, Hellfore, Hellfire? Err, and that means this city's lead squad will now be run by Carthage Prinze, the, errr, vampire." He whispered the last word gently. Dover stared mutely at him for a minute before he attempted to dispel any further information that apparently Dover wanted. "Err, umm, It's the squad that, err, she's in. She, err, Eternity, I mean, was dating Valerio, who got stabbed."

Dover finally acknowledged him with a flick of his hand and the spy went running. His face, far from the seconds ago jubilation at the capture and killing of a prominent vampire under Hellfire, was subdued and morose. "What do you propose?" Asked the serious voice of Cathcarte the second in command of Midday Sun. 

"Revenge." Dover said offhand, sidling into a seat of one of the tactical advisors, his hand to his mouth in thought. "Eternity and Palzer. They'd been dating for years. He was a witch. They cared-" He stopped and looked up at Cathcarte.

"I still think she'd be far safer and happier under Midday Sun, Sir." He said the last words with emphasis. "Especially with her being your-" They cut off as a meek shifter cat brought up their tea. 

"Another time Cathcarte another time." Was all Dover completed on the subject.

-*-

Review... just a few little words.... 

Bex Drake: I owe you x2 thanks cos your review came in the second i posted the next chapter. So sorry darling. Great to know your reading and I have been told by a certain Stone that you not a happy bunny recently so CHEER UP CHUNTEY!!!!

Practikal Magik: Don't worry you're not in there for too long. The guys are just standard with me now, I should really stop being so superficial shouldn't I? It's really weird writing a story and not having Shady review it.... Back on track thankies duderino.

Nada: Darling I have never read an Anne Rice book in my life nor even seen the film so I cannot judge in the least and it is pointless telling me that. Well names: Valerio is from a Italian author who I liked one of his books. I nicked his first name and Palzer is the surname of another author (my laptop faces my bookshelf- so natural to pick what you see). Carthage is the name of the city where Hannibal came from. I wanted to make him sound like a hero, hence also Prinze. Dover will become clear later. Hellfire well that's pretty obvious isn't it?

Thade182: Well he could be dead. Everyone seems to think he's dead. I think that's a pretty big sign pointing to the dead angle. Great to hear from you darling, your review prompted me to start writing. 


	4. Act One: Patience

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Patience is the gift from the gods, they never liked me 

She let out a breath as the bird flew high up into the night's sky. It cawed down at her seemingly shocked by her interruption before swooping down to it's left and off deeper into the woodland before her. Eternity smiled serenely almost apologetic to the animal whom she had disturbed. She trod carefully over the hard ground beneath her, it was icy in some patches. 

Her breath was visible infront of her coming out like a little puff of white smoke. Around her the trees cast faint shadows where the white glazed sunlight peaked through the thick white cloud. The grass was dotted with frost as the temperatures hit an impossible low. She looked up to see him as he arrived moving soundlessly through the crisp undergrowth. 

His eyes met hers with a cool detachment that belonged to him. They were cool eyes, matching the backdrop. They were blue with little white shocks. He often wore sunglasses to cover them, blending him more into the crowd. She met his eyes with a steady gaze not looking up and not looking down. "You haven't got long." He spoke each word clearly and with a lack of emotion. 

Eternity nodded finally looking away, making to turn, deciding against it, gazing fixedly at the floor. "You're dying." Her eyes flickered to a tree before looking back down to the floor. "But before you do die, Ms Tippet, you want him dead." She did turn away this time a sick feeling rising in her stomach. "Palzer's been dead for six months and in all that time you've just been dying a little more everyday." He spoke with true venom in his voice. It was frightening from a man who never showed his true feelings.

"Daybreak has no need for suicidal members. Remember that." His voice had dropped the anger as quickly as he had picked it up. Carthage was suddenly very close, his shoes to the left of her vision field lending him to be leaning against a tree. "We each have our vengeance to reek-"

"And what's yours?" She asked suddenly looking up into his eyes. He stopped talking, his eyes narrowed and his hand pushed him off from the tree he had been leaning against, leaving the gap between them far from sparse. 

"Do you really want to know?" He asked challenging her with a unemotional voice and posture. She in turn dipped her head and let her fingers pass along the rugged bark of a near by oak tree. Moving behind the tree she took solace for a second away from his harsh cool gaze and those eyes. "And I think you already know." 

Eternity took her head off the tree she had leant and beat it against a second earlier. She came out from behind the tree, sacrificing herself to the eyes. He spoke again clearly through the dead air of the cold winter's day. "Tell me darling ," He grinned as he studied her in full, stepping forward he reached out to her, she froze in horror, his fingers brushed her hair, her heart screamed to run, her head told her it was pointless, and then he stepped back. 

He was holding out a little green caterpillar. She let out her breath she had not realised she had been holding. "Now tell me, Darling, why you are scared of me." She was shocked by this. He knew. He must do. "Now I know it's not the reason that everyone keeps fobbing me off with... It's not just because I took up your dear Palzer's place. That would make you hate me not" He made to touch her cheek, but just in time Eternity jumped back with a little squeal of fright, "do that when I made to touch you."

"Or could it be because of what we did?" He moved around her, a small smile snaking across his face. Eternity supported herself against a tree, breathing calmly. 

"You did." She corrected him looking up with hateful eyes. 

"Oh no, you were just as much a part of it as I." He moved around the back of the tree, temporarily disappearing from her sight. "And what on earth would Valerio ever have done if he ever found out. Tut tut tut." 

"Don't you talk of him!" She yelled out jumping round to confront the beast behind the tree, startling a thousand birds from their nests. To her annoyance the beast was not behind the tree. She looked about but his figure was not in sight. She breathed out and collapsed on the floor. All the pain she had swallowed came out then. Tears etched out of her eyes, she hurled the sickness from earlier returning in double force. A pathetic sight.

Her short brown coat, a handout from many years ago, was covered in the sickness. At least it wasn't her long black one. That belonged with him. She would not wear it without him. Him. Before her the figure dropped. From high in the tree Carthage landed swiftly and giving a wide berth to the sickness. "Pathetic." He sneered.

She looked up at him with no reproach or anger, just sorrow. He was standing infront of her in a navy half unbuttoned shirt and black trousers in amongst almost snow conditions. Vampires. But not quite. Her vision blurred and she hurriedly wiped her eyes. Why now? Everything she had worked for the last six months came together tonight. And now she was surrounded by sick, her face was a mess and she was dirty. 

She really was pathetic. Goddess what would Valerio think? Carthage seemed to take pity and came forwards to help her up. She backed off but stood up hastily straightening her clothes. Wiping her mouth she jumped over the sick and looked about for the way she had come. She could not tell. Carthage, however, nimbly walked off to her left. She complacently followed. It was over. And once more any thoughts of Valerio were packed up into a box and stored in the back of her mind.

-*-

"This mission will take place on the South Embankment, the warehouse is the target. Hellfire is supposedly using it for storage of his weapons. As most of you know Hellfire is a weapons dealer, specialising in weapons to use against shifters and torture weapons for humans. The wooden knife that Wellies is seldom without is one of his design. He deals only the best to the best. Our aim is to get information of his killings, and also who he's dealing to."

"Starkers, Wellies you go round the back and take the main brunt. Holly you go to the east of the building. There's an office there with information on the killings Hellfire makes. He likes to document them. If Hellfire, although all sources say he is residing in his central city flat, is there I want you out as quickly as possible. Ollie you'd better go to. Hayley and Eternity you are with me on the front." 

"This is a plan of the building. The entrances are here...."

-*-

Eternity felt the shiver down Hayley's back as if it were hers. She glanced worriedly at her friend, examining her face with care. The last mission they'd all been on was the one the night before Valerio's death when they'd had several other squads backing them up and the danger to those who were not the bait was minimal. 

Carthage inched forward straining like a dog on a tight leash. Hayley in response inched backwards, her face a mask of fear. Carthage turned to see her. "Stay here." He told Hayley whose shocked face caused an unusual smile to appear on the vampire's face. "Don't do anything I wouldn't." He patted her on the head before gesturing for Eternity to come forward with him. She followed obediently. 

The front door was nothing but a rusted metal affair. It was not there to keep people out. Carthage picked it up quiet as a mouse and placed it next to the doorway. Eternity was the first into the warehouse. It was pitch black and dead quiet. A cold smooth tube was thrust into her hands. She closed her hands around it and ran her fingers up to find the button. A beam of yellow light shot out. Even a vampire couldn't see in pitch black. 

A mimicking beam shot out from her boss next to her. ~Doesn't look like anyone's home. Still be silent. Or as silent as possible.~ Carthage arrogantly told her from where his torch beam began. She stepped forwards running into a mental table with a clunk. Carthage's face did not to have light on it for Eternity to know the expression. 

She shone her torch on the offending object scanning quickly for a route through the littered warehouse. It was full of wooden crates with black writing on them, not in English. There were one or two other tables scattered throughout the wooden boxes as far as she could see. Edging her way around the table she crept down the alleyway. 

Only then did the shot reach her. Her eyes widened and she ducked out of instinct. Instinct saved her life, the bullet flying half a millimetre above her head. She almost let out a scream of sheer shock and terror. She scrambled at her back searching for her gun. She'd never had to use it before. Her hands were shaking and her heart was beating so loudly that the vampires in the Black Dreams could of heard it. 

"Move." A shout came to her over the black air. Oh shit, where was her torch? She scrambled aimlessly in the dark, dropping her gun. Shots rang out, this time a little further away. Letting in a breath she gathered her gun up, bullets all there, and abandoned her torch. Feeling her way about she reached back to what felt like the metal table. 

"Watch were you're putting your hands sweetie." A voice said quietly in her ear as her hands ran along something soft. She drew the offending hand back to her mouth and stepped back hastily.

"Wellies where, what's going on? Was there someone here?" She asked barely speaking but knowing the shifter's advanced hearing would pick it up. His arm grasped hers. He took in breath to speak, but the words never formed. His arm convulsed at the same second. 

He let out a shuddering breath as Eternity dived to support his falling body. She knew she could not for long. The bullets stilled reigned heavy. A trickle of liquid spilt down onto her hair and she spat out the small amount that fell into the curve of her mouth. 

A running figure came round the corner and the familiar overly strong cologne of Starkers came into breathing range. "Woh. Wellies?" He asked concern aching at his voice. "Give him here Eternity." She passed the body as best she could to him. "It'll be alright. Ok, get out, now. Get out." She began to protest but one of the shooter's found them and they all had to duck. With no sight, all she could do was scramble feeling about on her tummy looking for the barest hint of moonlight. 

It was many minutes before she reached anywhere near the exit. A slither of moonlight hinted on the edge of a surface. Eternity scrambled on all fours to reach it. 

"Is that you?" She heard Hayley calling ahead. Good that must be Starkers and Wellies outside. Eternity rounded the corner and ahead of her she saw the distant lights of the city. The sigh of relief that elicited from her was long and calming the feeling didn't last. 

A second later a scream of terror filled the air.

-*-

Review and the screamer will be revealed...... along with some more horror, males and guns. Life's beautiful.

Bex Drake: Dover is quite a cool character. He needs a little more work on him. Thank you so much for the compliments darling I'm not sure I deserved them but needless to say thank you!!!

Thade182: I love your vocab: fantabulous. Very funky little word. Men often die. I suppose they like dying in wars. Don't pull your hair out darling, it won't make me speed up and it may make me mourn the lost. Be patient. Like this chapter told you to be. 

Anaita: I had to get rid of him because I'm mean. And I liked him too much. I haven't said weather they are soulmates or not and I have no intention of doing so yet. It's more fun to let you guess. Dover's a dude. But all will come out later. 

Reduara: Valerio died. Sue me. I liked him too much so he had to go quickly and cleanly. Dover's dastardly deal as you so fantastically phrased it is naughty. So there. All explained. 

Practikal magik: There is a big difference between Cathcarte and Carthage. Carthage is a mean bastard vampire and Cathcarte is a mean bastard human. I could have just said they were male without saying the mean bastard couldn't I? Boyfriends that don't kick the bucket are a health hazard ok?

Review!


	5. Act One: Desperation

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Desperation is the key to our survival; it calls upon the very essence of an animal's fight to stay alive. Without it the human race would have died out long ago.

Eternity's ears rang with the sound of the cry. Male shouts echoed from various points in the pitch-blackness but as they all intermingled across the stale air they became indistinguishable. Her eyes strained to the outside where the scream had hailed from, but were only met but a sharp blinding light which shone heavily through the doorway. 

Her ears recognised her name being repeatedly called into the darkened air and her answering hail back in the rough direction was one of caution. More shots sounded. Eternity rolled under the nearest work surface for cover just as the blinding light faded. The light had moved closer, evidently it had been a torch, with now the owner inside the warehouse. 

From the distance Eternity could take in the vague view of the owner. It was male, tall and broad shouldered. His clothes comprised of a long thick jacket and loose trousers. Trainers adorned his feet showing his wealth in a prize make, though they were worn through on the souls. By the fact they held a stick caught to the lace Eternity took the guess that he had been a) in a wood recently b) been hunting in a wood recently c) he had been drinking in a wood recently. 

From her belly down position lying down on the floor she could just see his head if she flattened herself within a millimetre of the floor. But what interested her was the bundle on his shoulder. It was like a big sausage. The sick little voice in the back of her mind sang away with _corpse glorious corpse, blood bones and eyeballs, dead bodies for all of us, what next is the question._

She lay frozen to the floor as a the shots died down. Some other people had evidently found torches and began flicking them on. From Eternity's position she could see no one except the vampire. The winding twisting snake that coiled around the stomach and heart soaked it's poison of fear into her ebbing her of any bravery she thought she held. 

Cold with fear and drenched in sweat she lay for what seemed like hours but in reality was sometime in the area of five minutes whilst various feet moved around outside in the open space of the warehouse. She felt like the rabbit hiding from the fox. The vampire earlier mentioned had moved off with his bundle, he was laughing and talking to a friend. 

No trace among the many voices of any she knew. Her panic had subsided and the snake had stopped squeezing in her body. The voices seemed many as the echoed off the many walls and boxes and left her feeling very lonely under the surface. The lights had been switched on, but they were only dulled lights only providing enough light for her to pick out vague shapes in the moonlight. 

Her breath stopped issuing from her lips as the sounds of walking neared her. The shoes were harsh against the surface and the bearer did not pick up his feet. He was alone and reeked of blood. No guesses were needed in the case of his species. She let in not a gasp but a soft barely plausible breath and out again so that he could not hear her.

She closed her eyes and let her body relax, fall into a peace of mind. She felt almost sleepy with her head resting gently against the concrete floor, eyes shut to the already dim world, body numb against the evening's turmoil. She stirred, only her eyes opening as her ears recognised the sound of a lighter catching a cigarette. The walker had stopped leaning on a surface not three down from hers. When she looked she saw the slow black drops of falling ash. 

She let her body relax once more against the floor, breathing so that she became sedated with the lack of oxygen. So when the voice came it did not startle her. "Are you coming out or do I have to drag you?" It was a calm almost gentle voice, no hint or malice to destroy the natural tones that easily completed every word with confidence. Against her will her body stopped frozen in time and thought.

"I suppose that's dragging then, little lady." The tones quietly ensued after another slow and lasting drag on the cigarette. "Let me finish my cigarette then." He said in a careless quiet tone, which matched the now silent air. The last of the ash fell from the surface and the vampire carefully dropped the small remainder to the ground before turning nonchalantly back to her work surface. 

He ducked down to the floor his face brushing the edge of it. It was a nice face. It was of a man, not over twenty-one with dark brown eyes and long lashes. His chocolate brown hair was straight and long touching his eyelashes and occasionally cloaking his eyes. He looked timeless with an elegant sense of grace and posture. He was beautiful but not sexually appealing. He was what he seemed, nothing more. 

He held out his hand to her, palm up almost like a handshake. Her eyes darted to the floor before his easy voice spoke again. "All I can see of you, little girl, is two large brown eyes." He spoke the words as if they were a prayer and the name, little girl, as if he was speaking off a puppy. She sniffed slightly her control returning. 

He pulled his head up so only the lower half of his body was visible and knelt back. Eternity sniffed once again before pulling herself on her hands and body forward out into the open of the warehouse. She had not realised how the surface had sheltered her from the sudden wind that whipped up and caused a shiver to pass down her spine. The biting wind caught her as soon as her head emerged from the darkened hole she had been in for the past hour. Her bones were stiff and she felt very feeble, caught as she was by the enemy who would certainly do bad things to her.

She shivered again before her eyes met that of her captor. She dropped them again waiting for him to make a move. Kinder to kill her instantly but she felt assured he had no sense of doing so. He was evidently studying her closely. This lasted but three minutes before he turned and walked calm and controlled, as were all his movements down the alleyway. 

Standing slightly awkwardly she saw behind her reflected by the concrete the light of the breaking dawn. But she also felt, knew, that as soon as she moved to the open door a vampire would appear from no where to stop her. Looking back to the now disappearing figure she hurried along behind him shuffling slightly and holding onto herself. She was sniffling against, probably she had caught a cold. 

He winded along the many stacks of crates until he reached a small office area. He entered switching a lamp on in the corner so a dim light illuminated the room. It was a dull room. Two desks kept up the dry, metallic feel of the whole building with a few sofas littered at the opposite end in a dowdy green and blue colour well stained. On one of these he indicated her to sit.

She stumbled forward, still clasping at herself for protection and reassurance. The seats were unforgiving but she pulled her legs up to her chest in an act of self defence against the creature that held her to this place. He merely moved from the light to the sofa opposite hers. He sat, one leg hanging over the edge the other resting over the thigh of the former leg, relaxed and calm. 

"My name," he said in his unique soft tone, " is Michael Pope." She blinked and blushed wondering whether to tell her own name but deciding to remain in silence. "You're a daybreaker?" She sat silently looking at him opposite her with all hope and desperation caught in them swirling and dancing. He closed his eyes for that very second before pulling himself up.

A curious co-incidence of events happened that very second. A gun was fired in the warehouse behind just as Michael sat down next to her. She turned her body to level her eyes with his again, ignoring the jump of sudden veracity in the next room as it once again passed into silence. His eyes were dead. Old eyes. Very old eyes. 

Sad. They were so very sad. She put her hand up to touch the cheek to touch the pain, but her remembrance withheld the hand from touching. Michael in his turn moved his arm around her, pulling her long black cloak over her body to stop the cold from touching her, even though in the little office the breeze had stopped. He left the arm there. 

Eternity relaxed her head lulling back onto his shoulder where all the numbness ebbed away giving power to a rush of feeling. Pain pumped the blood in her body around a thousand times a minute, her mind went through stages of feeling like a rabbit caught in a trap before repressing back into a feeling of quiet ecstasy. Her body slowed as her breathing matched his in a symphony of silence.

It was almost as if he had let go the feeling that had wound up inside her all evening with every breath he let out of his body. Almost as if he were healing her by just breathing, by just being alive. His mind his soul his presence was enough to justify her very being. 

Endless time passed, like eternity in his arms. A quiet piece of mind that let her be free from even thoughts of revenge and pain that had haunted her brain for the past six months. This was peace. This was freedom. This was everything.

-*-

When the endless time ended it was not a shock nor was it expected. And it was neither a disappointment nor blessing. Emotions she had let go of and in this time nothing was positive and nothing was negative. Everything was as it was and as it should be. 

He was the first to move his body leaning forward tipping her from him so he could stand. His eyes looked slightly weary and tired. "Come." He said as if it were not an order but a regret. She stood slightly unsteady, but relaxed as she pulled her long sleeved black coat about her. "No, this way." He quietly commented as she turned towards the warehouse. He was pointing towards a wooden door which held unto the unknown. 

She followed him as he opened it revealing a comfortable little office. It was no doubt part of the rest of the dowdy dry place, but it was partially different in a way Eternity could not distinguish. On the desk was a sheaf of papers headed with an untidy scrawl 'Hellfire'. She was in his office. She stopped for a second worried that any second the bogeyman of daybreakers bad dreams would spring out upon her. But all there was was Michael looking at her with his sad brown eyes.

She shook herself out of it and glancing once more at the papers she walked over to where he stood upon the far side of the room next to the second door. He held it open for her. The sight that met her eyes was not one she anticipated. She glanced at him with sudden horror and wonder but all he did was look back with those same beautiful eyes. 

"Why-?" She asked breathing the words over speaking them. He still heard with ease his eyes never leaving hers. 

"Because you're different." He said without a flicker of emotion. His voice was harder than it had been but Eternity sensed it was not because of what he was saying but because what he was doing. His hand reached out to her fluffy hair and ran his hand through a strand of it. He smiled almost with an almost daydreaming look which did not touch her eyes. 

"Why don't-?" She started again stumbling over words, she had not spoken in many hours. But she had no need to speak, he already knew. 

"to daybreak? No. My side is set. Now run and don't stop or look back."

"When?" She asked her breath coming to her in ragged chants. She clumsily buttoned her coat up before trying her feet against the concrete below. She was able to stand. 

"As long as we are both free, now go." She ran. She did not look back and she did not stop. It took not a five hundred metres before her lungs began to burn and her throat dried to the point of doom. She slowed but did not stop. The threat of a vampire following her kept her pace fast and furious. 

She realised she was smiling as she found herself alone in the centre of the town. It was quiet in the early bathed light of the morning. The town clock told her it was just passed six in the morning, and her thumping head told her it was time to run once again. She set her feet off in the direction she knew as home, but it was too be a long walk.

Quiet as the day the house was as she finally approached. It was nearly eight o'clock in the morning but nobody inside appeared to be stirring. She passed the wards the sight of home making her body shake and stumble for the first time weakness entered her adrenaline fed body. Clumsily she stumbled over to the doorbell, she had no key, rang and waited. And waited.... Nobody's home.....

-*-

Review and updates will come that bit faster..........

Redaura: Valerio..... He's so cool. The girl at the beginning was Eternity. Thank you so much.

Bex Drake: Thank you, darling. It's chipper to hear from you.

Practikal magik: If I told you that it would be no fun for me. The bad dude run along the lines of: Dover- human Midday Sun Leader. His second is Cathcarte. Hellfire- evil vampire dude who stabbed Valerio. Carthage- is a nasty pasty but with Daybreak. Better?

Anatia: All forgiven darling and I'm glad you like the story. To improve your reviewing skills I request next time you review you say something you don't like. Do it!

Review.....


	6. Act One: Calm

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Calm is an emotion you feel when you are under the illusion everything is alright

The silky white puffs of elegant cloud that lined the distant horizon sent sparks of the new throughout Eternity. The neighbourhood she resided in was a quiet calm one. No one had a brightly coloured car, no one wore brightly coloured close. It was almost as to appease the environment. 

Behind their house was a wood. Thick and dense with dark bark and leaves of such a beautiful green they seemed to dance and play with the wind that rustled through them. The woods themselves stretched onwards unto the far distance, this suburb of the city almost being carved out of the woodland itself with trees everywhere to be seen. Safe enough for the daybreakers. 

All the houses were old, the oldest breaching 650 years, the manor of the old town before it had been absorbed by the city. The youngest was not 150years yet the remainder of the houses fitting somewhere in between. All the new estates were built beyond the realms of this quiet city suburb. The old village had not been big enough to acquire any proper non-residential building except a ancient church which was constantly raising money to be rebuilt as it had stood for only twenty years less than the manor. 

The best of both worlds resided in this small community spirited neighbourhood. It had been home for Eternity for on and off three years. And of all the places she stayed, this was the place she longed to return to. Wooder's Gardens was, and was always to be, or so she felt, her home.

Her peaceful wonderings within her own mind were interrupted by the bark of a dog. She looked up sharply to see Mrs Cole, their next door neighbour, struggling with their wilful dog. The dog was amply named Wellington, after his now owners found him in a Wellington boot whilst on a walk. He had grown somewhat since then and could now not even fit his nose into the Wellington boot which the sentimental couple had kept. 

"Eternity?!!" The shout came from the rather desperate woman who was trying to restrain the wild dog who was evidently slightly excited about the prospect of walking. "Can you take little Welly for a short walk? I know your probably busy," Mrs Cole made a point of looking towards Eternity to emphasise the fact she was sitting doing seemingly nothing, "but it wouldn't take that long. God knows he can practically walk himself these days." 

Eternity felt like slaughtering the stupid woman who had immediately assumed as soon as she had met Eternity that Eternity would be her willing slave in any whim and be like the daughter Mrs Cole had so desperately wanted to wait on her. When dear Valerio had died the considerate neighbour had consoled her with "Never mind darling. It's good for you to date someone else anyway. Now how about that charming Cathy? Or is it Carpe? Carth..."

Eternity seeing no plausible grounds she could give the women to denying the question, pulled herself up to full height. Her body was weak from exhaustion and mental depression but that made no difference to the last six months. Shaking a little she walked barefoot down the small lawn to where a small green hedge separated the two abodes. As soon as Wellies saw her his bark echoed throughout the neighbourhood as he pulled at his leash and pawed at the hedge to get throw to greet this new person.

Mrs Cole handed Eternity the leash and smiled in her rouge lipstick before turning back to the house. Wellington tore through the hedge leaving a Wellington shaped hole before diving onto Eternity licking her and barking. She looked up at the house once more before crossing back over the lawn and stalking dragging a inquisitive dog behind her. Nothing stirred in the house and she entered the back garden still searching for any signs of intelligent life.

Wellington went beserk in the back garden, Wellies must have been in there recently. Wellington and Wellies always got on very well. 'Dog thing' was all Wellies would ever say about it. "Come on he's not here." She yanked on the lead but the dog merely took her off her feet as he dashed forward to smell a new plant. 

She pulled herself giving the dog a good yank on his lead, which he returned in kind with a happy little bark and another full force yank. She was prepared for it this time though and kept her ground. She dragged him slowly up the garden to the wicket gate which he instantly jumped leaving her to awkwardly scramble over it. 

As soon as they reached the woods she let him off the lead, causing her only to see the disappearing behind of a black, brown and white dog as he darted off into the shadows. She deliberated leaving him too it, the neighbourhood would thank her if he never returned, but the sound of running paws stopped her thoughts. 

It was like he was invisible, his paws were sounding right next to her on the path yet he was not there. The affect only lasted for a second as Wellington came charging out of the trees and pounced on her. Giving into his adorable smiles and joy of being alive she raced him down the track trying to break all limit of the human body. 

He won and darted off into the foliage once again. Taking her maturity and throwing it into the sky Eternity ran into the undergrowth on the other side of the track. Making no noise she settled quietly to wait. A minute later the paws were heard again and the dog's bark echoed through the woods. The sounds of a strong nose sniffing and a dogs curious and slightly annoyed bark came to her behind her tree. She stifled a dizzy giggle before waiting for the dogs next action. He sniffed towards where she was and began to walk off track there his nose pressed to the ground.

Realising it would be a matter of seconds until she was discovered she made a bit for freedom diving in amongst the woods. The sounds of the four paws of pursuit and a bark to the tone of 'she's getting away' confirmed her theory of being chased. The ground dipped and rose as she darted under the trees, laughing as she did so. They reached a shallow stream and she jumped in running up the bank before she stopped turned back to the stream and thought through a cunning dog deciving plan. 

Hurriedly she went back into the stream and ran along it to where a low branch overhung it. She used her body strength to haul herself onto it and lay flat along it, just as Wellington reached the stream. He had stopped, obviously sensing no movement. He passed through the stream regaining the scent on the other side until it ran out. He sniffed a little bit further but there was no more scent. He went back to the stream sniffing again. 

Wellies had always complained about how annoying it was when people ran through water and you lost their scent. Oldest trick on the collar but there was no prevention against it. She whistled to Wellington just as he was about to give up searching for her, and he came running. He was frustrated to find her up a tree and he bounced about below her in the water enjoying this new challenge before realising jumping up was getting him no where and he retreated off into the woods. 

Eternity rolled over and let her eyes shut to the green sky carpet above her. Valerio's face swam pleasantly infront of her, his kind smile touching her very soul on fire. His tipped blonde auburn hair which was always so silky to run hands through. His light blue/green eyes which danced every time he smiled and sang every time it was for her. 

In her head she conjured the image of a big field with a stream running through the middle. Valerio and her lying on their backs in the midday sun. The rise in the branch became his arms, the stem his body. She settled into his presence. She imagined his laugh, which she too laughed out loud again to hear, his touch, making her shiver, his voice.

But it changed. It wasn't his voice any more. It was the soft soothing tones of Michael, his arms, his body. But he didn't laugh because Michael Pope didn't laugh. He smiled though. 

He changed again and this time his hair was lightening white blonde, long like Michael's but a different colour. It dipped into his strange blue eyes. And his voice his deep harsh emotionless voice. But those eyes.....

She screamed awaking herself from her daydreams. She burned the image of Carthage from her eyes with all the savage energy of one who is born to kill. Wellington came hurrying back to her as she jumped off the branch and landed harshly in the stream. She ignored the sharp pain in her ankle and turned towards the path. 

It took a good twenty minutes to get home, Wellington noticing her anger which was covering something far less reputable to be feeling- self horror. She was furious with herself by the time she reached home and the gate was the last straw. She caught her trouser leg on the gate as she climbed it. This sudden stoppage disrupted Wellington's firmly made plans of jumping over the second after she had climbed over.

Consequently he landed on top of her pushing her over the gate, ripping her trousers and letting her fall flat faced in the mud. Wellington pleased with the consequence, it worked out for him just as well as if he'd of made it straight over belted over to where Wellies stood slightly confused looking at the fallen girl.

Carthage however was closer and picked up a long thin stick fallen from one of the elm trees then preceded to poke the girl who moaned and picked herself up. She blinked her muddy eyelashes when she saw Carthage and beyond him Wellies and the merry singing voice of Starkers from the kitchen. She shook her head and blinked a few times before taking a step nearer examining Carthage. 

He seemed in perfect shape. His slick hair was wet and he was wearing his normal black attire. There was nothing about him to suggest anything out of the ordinary had happened last night. Wellies however looked tired and had one arm bandaged up. His clothes were rough and torn but his face was grinning in a sarcastic way that suggested he found amusement in this scene. 

Eternity brushed the mud from her face before hobbling passed Carthage who was not amused to Wellies who nodded to her, the quiet obedient loyal Wellington sitting by his feet. She trasped up into the kitchen collapsing on one of the harsh wooden chairs. Starkers, who was in full swing with 'R-E-S-P-E-C-T', smiled at her before giving her a double check over. Switching off the music he came and knelt by her knees.

"Now Eternity. There's something you should discuss with your parents but seeing as-well they're not here I suppose I'll have to do it. When a strange man comes up to you in the middle of the night holding a knife and asking to see your boobs you do not stand there and let him cut your top to pieces." Eternity's eyes narrowed as she glanced down at her top. It wasn't that revealing. Starkers was making a whole lot of fuss about nothing. 

"It wasn't a man." She mumbled half to herself. But with the wonderful hearing little ole vampys have, even over the loud music and his loud singing he still heard her say something. He stopped the music and looked at her probably wondering weather it was joking. "It wasn't a man." She said only slightly louder and only slightly flustered. "It was a woman." Wellies who had just come in let out a snort of laughter whilst Starkers looked unamused and put the music back on. 

Carthage was last to enter from the garden his face depressed and his eyes mutinous. "Eternity what happened last night?" He asked in more than angry soft tones. Eternity looked up at him and thought back to last night.

"I was following Starkers out but we got separated and I had to hide under one of those work surfaces. I stayed there until dawn when I managed to sneak out." Carthage face did not so much as flicker. His eyes were cold as he made a loud exaggerated sniff. 

"I can smell your fear," He said in mocking tones. "I can still smell it after six hours have passed. I don't really think any of the many vampires in that warehouse last night would have been able to miss it. You're lying young one." Eternity's eyes fell to the floor and she shuffled uncomfortably. The sound of a lighter and a cigarette came to her ears as the conversation started up again. 

"We spent the night in the Daybreak hospital in the next city, south of here. Wellie's was shot in the arm and it cut into his chest. It was a half silver half wood bullet so it will heal quite quickly." Starkers said from his position next to the Hi-Fi. Wellies was stood next to him drinking a steaming mug of something- she caught the flavour of coffee beans. Carthage was the one smoking whilst leaning up on the counter nearest to her. "We took the landrover. I guess you had your sports car."

"Yeah. I was stuck in the warehouse for hours, caught in a gun fight with a old friend of mine. Eventually I ran out of bullets so I escaped down the drainage hole. Came out next to my car and drove off into the night. I recovered," He coughed to show his dislike of this admitted weakness, "in our brother safe house on the other side of the city."

"Where's Ollie? And Holly?" Eternity suddenly asked a sinking feeling coming to her stomach as she remembered where the pair were suppose to go last night and where she ended up last night. She looked up to see Starkers and Carthage looking at her intently. Mind reading...

The front door slammed. "Hello?" A voice called. It was a male voice. A voice Eternity recognised. But it wasn't Ollie's. But the owner of that voice had been dead for six months... 

Valerio

-*- 

I'm mean. Sue me. Review and ka-boom more chapters will appear. Like magic (magic that takes two and a half hours...)

Practikal Magik: Now I'm hardly going to tell you who her soulmate is am I? You'll find out soon enough. Michael will be forgotten about soon enough....

Thade182: Six months roughly since Valerio was stabbed darling... I have done as you asked.... Thank you for your time.

Bex Drake: time will tell you who Michael is. You'll find out soon enough. Thanks.

Redaura: Dover we'll meet again soon enough. She was with Michael for a couple of hours. I liked that too. But the scary thing for me is I made it up. Sick little mind I have....

Review!


	7. Act Two: Hope

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Relight the skies, 

touch the dawn, 

anything is possible, 

__

hope is home

Eternity's hand resting lightly on the edge of her chair turned white with the excess energy of gripping. The gripping was to keep her in the reality, which at the time was battling for her like a black hole. She closed her eyes to the fantasy in front of her, her soul could not stand to lose him again. 

-*-

Valerio cautiously took another step into the small house. A floorboard creaked beneath him and he hastily retracted his foot from its protection. Stepping over it he proceeded forward into the hallway, the kitchen being directly ahead. Carefully he opened the door to the once alive kitchen. It was no very dead.

There may have been living people in the room but they may as well have been statues. None were breathing, none were moving. No one even looked up to see him. They all remained frozen in their various positions. Except Carthage who was staring with an evident amount of pain on his face at Valerio. The pain confused Valerio for a second but then he noted a slight flicker in the lips and noticed a small balling of hand into fist. He could see clearly now that Carthage was suffering from some internal battle of emotions and instincts.

Before Carthage however could move Starkers to his right looked up at Valerio from where his eyes had been fixed to the floor. His face showed only showed amazement, Valerio could not tell weather his return was welcome or not. Next to him Wellies with an arm in a cast was mimicing the expression.   
  
Eternity. Valerio swept his gaze searching for her in the occupants of the room and found her sitting very much cut off from the others in a corner. But it was his Etty. This girl was pale, drawn. Her wonderful alive eyes were dazed and unfocused staring mutely at the corner of the cupboard where Carthage stood. Her legs were drawn up to her body in a protective gesture, her hands were gripping the sides of the chair. Her blonde hair was loosely tied at the back, no effort had been made to make it anything attractive. 

She looked a ghost of the girl she was before. She looked almost dead. He crossed the room to her, kneeling down on the dirty floor infront of her, crossing her vision, but she merely looked through him to the same spot. He took, detached, one of her hands which tightly clamped onto the chair arm and rubbed it between his own, they were numb and cold. Her eyes flickered then.

To his eyes. They were grey eyes. They had changed colour over the time from an alive blue green to this dull faded eyes. She swallowed before leaning forward to touch his face. She ran a finger over his cheek, her hand grazing the stubble on his chin. She blinked again and looked to the floor, her body coming forwards to his.

-*-

"Oh Etty." He whispered in her ear as they came to hug. She could do nothing but let out a little shriek and begin to cry. She could not have talked, although she tried, for her mouth elicited only sounds of ecstasy at having him back in her arms. He stood, keeping her body level with his, so her feet only touched the floor if she stretched. 

Her breathing was rushed and ragged and it was all she could do not to hold him so tightly and to touch him again and again. He was back. Everything would be alright. He held her so tight against him that it was almost as if she could melt into him, become one person. She stroked his hair as he touched her's. Her arms held him as tightly as she could almost wishing she could hurt him for all the hurt he had done her. 

But the damage had been done. No words were spoken as he lifted her up and took her out the kitchen. He took her up to their room where he lay her flat on the bed as carefully as if she were glass. Tears still streaked her cheeks but the wells had dried up. Her hair lay undone from the messy style it had held before spread over the cream duvet, her eyes lay fixed on his unbearably passionate.

She shivered before reaching up to his face to run a hand along the light stubble of his cheek before rising higher to take in every aspect of his face. She was no longer content to be without his touch for a second. Every moment was coveted by another always touching his skin, he was always there. Valerio never moved instead enjoying the gentleness of her touch and reassuring her with every move of his controlled body. 

Valerio pushed her off gently with the tips of his fingers. She looked reproachful but lay back onto the bed waiting. He forced a tiny smile to his lips, making her arise in alarm, but he put his hand out again to stop her. His hands pulled the bottom of his t-shirt up over his head, revealing his once so familiar chest. In the time they had spent apart it had changed.

New was a increased size slug trail up from where his flesh disappeared behind trousers to just below his belly button. Valerio had always been somewhat of a late developer. New also was the scar above his heart. It was not a clean scar but jagged in a sort of star with spikes upon the tips. It was obscure for it was white against the slight olive skin his heritage gave him. 

Eternity's mind returned to the night, Ollie's face and words. 'Stabbed'. Confused she ran her hands along the wound, familiarising herself with the new. Her eyes searched his and he ignored them, instead preferring to breath in her scent. She persisted looking at him with wide eyes. He sighed and settle down on the bed taking her head upon his lap. 

"That night Hellfire was not alone. Eris, my cousin by my mother's side, was dating a member of Hellfire's groupies. She's a Night World fanatic like all my mother's family and my mother. While the rest of us were joining daybreak they were conspiring how to kill the Crone and replace her with my grandmother. When I saw her and Hellfire in the same room I immediately ordered you all to get out as quickly as possible."

"Eris saw me however and confronted me. I won't tell you what happened next but I woke up in my grandmother's old house in the country. I had received a stab wound to the heart but Eris had had the grace to save me with a little magick. They kept me weak whilst beginning the process of re-education." 

Valerio suddenly let out a real grin to his face. For a second Eternity could do nothing but reach up and kiss the mouth she so longed to touch. He looked down slightly surprised. As she pulled back down onto his lap He strengthened his grip around her waist smiling down on her and kissing her head. 

"At the beginning of last week they began telling me things. Or at least my naive cousin Pandora took charge of my care. She told me things about what they were up to. She told me that my family were dealing in plenty of weapons from Hellfire, she also told me that there was a delay on the latest shipment as some big deal was happening in this city next week."

He looked down at her a slight glow to his dark warm eyes. "And she told me about you. She told me that my little girlfriend had been spotted. She told me my little girlfriend was looking lonely without me. Did you know you were being watched?" Eternity nodded remembering Carthage's orders to go out shopping and look happy. However her shopping partner had been Holly. The tarty vampire had led her round the rabbit run just for the benefit of their followers and Holly's already extensive wardrobe.

"You being lonely I just knew I had to get out. So I broke out. Nifty little tricks Ollie knows. Lock picking is not a skill any witches know anything about." Eternity nodded still slightly confused but understanding vaguely what had happened. She sat upright looking deep into his wonderful eyes. 

And everything was alright. 

In his eyes there was concern for her, there was passion for her and there was still love for her. He was still to be there for her. She was still his and he still hers. 

From the exaltation she laughed aloud. Use to her random burst of laughter when she was happy, he held her tightly to him before kissing her lightly on her lips, face and neck. She stopped laughing then and looked at him deeply. 

His hand crept down her top, causing her to take a sharp breath in. He stopped and kept her gaze before continuing further down. His hands found the hem of the garment and pulled it up over her head. Mutely she looked back at him, smiling very slightly. 

From her voice issued a small hum. The theme to Titanic swam throughout the air as he lay her back on the bed. It continued for the next hours...

-*-

Sounds woke Eternity up. They were sound from a far off land to which she did not belong. Her mind was too pleasantly occupied elsewhere. She was in heaven. The soft feel of the clouds below her, the light hum of music around her, the complacent feel of life. This type of perfection was so rare that, when achieved, it should be held and carried within the heart and soul, like a smooth river winding through a small valley. A place for peace.

But it does not last forever. And that is why what you have of it should be so sacred. 

Valerio's raised voice woke her from her blissful state. It was countered by the raised voice of Carthage. A feeling, that later would cause her embarrassment, became apparent. "Not again....." She moaned to herself as she crossed the border between heaven and reality. She landed hard, forcing herself up from the bed and crossing the room to where some shorts of her's and one of Valerio's t-shirts lay. Both had been untouched for six months. 

Hesitatingly opening the door she dived out and downstairs. The argument was hailing from the sitting room as both doors were shut and both boys were standing ears pressed against the door listening. It was hardly necessary. Eternity could hear everything from where she was standing halfway up the stairs. 

"You think you can just-"

"Unless you didn't notice I never died, you were never in cha-"

"I did your job for-"

The voices hushed instantly. Eternity looked confused at the two boys, Wellies who had noticed her presence smiled at her attire before waving her over. "They keep going quiet. We don't know what's going-"

"Will you stop eavesdropping?" A double shout came from the room. Starkers and Eternity both let out chuckles before creeping off into the kitchen. Wellies followed in a second. 

When the reached the safety of the kitchen they were able to talk safely. "Valerio said he'd been at his family's home for six months." Starkers said staring intently at her as if she'd know any different. Reading this thought he turned away rather hastily. 

"Carthage would like to keep leadership. But I don't know." Eternity's mind hand wandered: _ i love valerio, i love valerio_. 

"I don't know who to side with. I mean Val's got a good sense of leadership and equality but Carthage is really more into the whole fighting and winning side of things." Starkers helpfully commented. _ I love valerio, i love valerio_. "I'd go for Val though cos he's got more of a rep with the Las Vegas guys."

Wellies did not agree or disagree. Eternity suddenly realised the meaning of their words. What if Carthage did remain leader? That would be so awfu-"Eternity." Carthage's voice from an inch away from her right ear shocked her. "keep your thoughts to yourself." She lowered her eyes as she flushed. His voice had been dangerous. Valerio's arms pulled her backwards into him and she relaxed trying to forget the pain. 

"Where's Holly and that boy?" Valerio asked looking at Carthage. Eternity jumped as the phone rang by her ear. Valerio picked it up, still holding her by the waist with the other hand. "Hello? It's Valerio. Thank you. Ahh." Silence rang for twenty seconds as the male voice at the other end of the telephone talked. "When? Right." Valerio let out a sigh and his grip on Eternity loosened. He rang off.

"Do you want the bad news?" He asked smiling like hell. "Or the even worse news?"

-*-

Review.............. It helps......... just a little........ or a big one...... I'm not a sizest..... please?

Bex Drake: Thank you so much. I'm so glad you liked it!

Thade182: *backs away* okay then... someone's got passionate about the boy. And I wouldn't thank any god too soon... In my stories I try to make sure death is never as far away as it seems...

Redaura: I'm so glad your guys are straight. Them being bent is always slightly awkward when one's passionately attached to them. I can assure that the review including an entry in the thesaurus will need no looking back upon for recall of the subject. That is much as ever stuck. 

Practikal Magik: but I did end it there. Wellies and Wellington happen to be very close naturally but there's a bit of extra spice in there. *coughs* Carthage's cool but a twisted bastard. Knowing what I know I'm extraordinarily sorry for him. Starker's is straight *shakes head in disgust*

REVIEW!!!!


	8. Act Two: Jealousy

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Jealousy can be your greatest enemy and at the same time your greatest friend

"What's happened?" Carthage's voice was tense as he spoke. His eyes flickered to Starkers and Wellie's silent forms leaning up against the wall. Neither moved nor spoke, there gazes fixed upon the silent floor. Eternity held back the rising bile in her throat.

"The bad news is that they've found Holly. She's dead." No sound was made nor movement; voice or action but in that instant the news filtered through the remote channels of the brain, the instant it was believed the room temperature dropped ten degrees. The hair on Eternity's arms stood upright, the breath in her throat caught. 

"How?" Was the almost mouthed words from Starkers as he barely whispered the words. "I..." He stopped himself his eyes moving to the ground whereupon he coughed once and walked out the room into the garden. The door slammed sharply behind him making the rest of the occupants in the room jump. Wellies's upper lip was twitching and he constantly licked his lips. 

Carthage's gaze was fixed firmly on Valerio. Valerio's gaze was fixed firmly on Carthage. And Eternity slipped out into the hallway. She heard the backdoor slam again as she reached the safety of the hallway. Was she to care that someone she had not liked died? She did not. Valerio was alive, the death of another was inconsequence.

Holly had been a slut of a vampire, almost despised by her own kind for her flamboyant ways and constant need for blood and sex. When blood is mentioned for Holly it's not of her prey but of her enemy. Blood of an enemy was what mattered- vampire or human. To drink their blood was to drink their power. 

Soft whispers of a conference of leaders reached her and she hurriedly retreated from the sounds. The bedrooms each belonging to one of the (former) team at the time did not seem appealing. The outside only held endless freedom where she had ran before hers had returned to her. Again no reminders of the time without him were welcome. 

She walked into the room where the argument had been held before. Closing the door so only a cat could slip through she collapsed upon one of the setaes settling to watch and wait.

-*-

Her body plunged into the ice water a sharp pain ripping through her body which was instantly numbed as the last of her body was submerged. A small wave of red water passed her eyes like smoke ascending to the heavens. Her body was frozen in the position she had met the water with. 

It was a couple of seconds before she realised she couldn't move or breath. It was a couple more before she realised she didn't want to. 

More red water passed her face before her eyes closed completely. She was numb and didn't feel when her body hit the pool floor. The face of her first love passed her mind and inwardly she smiled. She was at peace perhaps. Just for a little while. 

-*-

"Eternity? Eternity??" 

__

Mum?? Mum! Where... where?

"Eternity can you hear me?? Please, please, wake up. Please my child. Please." _I'm here. Please. Don't leave. Mum, mum._ "She's not dead. She can't be dead. Not my child." _Mum! _"No. I won't believe it. Not again. Eternity wake up this instant." _Mum_

mum

please

let me wake up. Just to see her again.

"I can't cope Richard. Not again. Not my girl." _ Mum don't. Please. Don't._ "I'm sorry. Richard..." _mum. Your so close. If I could touch you. If I could let you know. I'm fine. I'm not dead. _"Please. Just leave me with my girl for a minute. A minute longer." _Stop mum, you don't know what your doing. No. Listen to me!_

"Now darling. We'll be together. All together. A family. All in heaven."_ I don't want to go to heaven yet. Don't leave me mother! _"Your father. Always the hero. You never knew him, but you were so much like him. Your brother." _Don't cry. Don't. Mum. No. _

"We'll all be together. One big happy family." _Don't do that mum. No. Stop. Please. No. You can't. No. I'm not dead. You're not dead. No. No. No. No. No._

"MUM!"

-*-

"MUM!" Eternity was breathing heavily as she stared dazed at the placid wall infront of her. She sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes. She let in a sigh of breath. Nightmares. The door slyly opened, she heard the creak. She was shaking slightly as she looked up to see the trespasser. Valerio's chocolate eyes stared down at her. 

Her eyes dropped to the ground as she wiped away the tears. "I'm-" She closed her eyes and stood shakily walking to him. "I'm sorry." He completed as she fell noiselessly into his arms. He stroked her hair gently. She caught his smile as she looked up to his eyes. She, through her tears, smiled back. Their smiles were not well suited to the situation. They best explanation for them Eternity could come up with was that they were just at the weirdness of returning to a situation they had repeated many times before.

"It was never your fault." Eternity said swallowing as the ever present ugly head of the past resurfacing in the form of her mother. "It was no one's. You saved my life. And the cost was her life." He did not return the answer just laid her head against his chest staring ahead of him with a vacant expression. 

"I hate to break up this touching reunion but there's something you might want to know." Carthage's sneer bought the couple sharply apart. However Valerio's smile returned as his hand snaked back around Eternity's waist and he bought them back to a tight physical contact. He smiled at Carthage who rolled his eyes irritably.

Eternity's eyes fixed upon the ground. Valerio and Carthage always brought out the worst in each other. Valerio was goading Carthage and Carthage had returned to his immature rebellious self. "What would that be, Prinze?" Valerio asked referring to the junior by his surname which he never used with good reason. 

Carthage flashed his fangs in a threatening way before glancing down to Eternity then back up at Valerio face emotionless. Valerio's arm held Eternity tighter as the conversation changed into Valerio hurling with his thoughts at the only telepathic in the room. Eternity's eyes closed against the two squabbling boys. She felt her heart jolt and she heard Carthage snarl. 

"The-" Carthage's controlled (just) voice croaked. Eternity looked at him directly in the eyes, he looked back with control steadily. "There was another phone call. Hayley's not at the human hospitals or the daybreak. She may be with Ollie. Neither of them have been heard of since." A silence followed, Carthage and Eternity's gazes remained locked. "And Wellies and Starkers have taken the jeep."

"Pardon?" Valerio asked politely obviously not quite wanting to hear what Carthage had said. Carthage's eyes flicked up from Eternity as Valerio's grip loosened. 

"That I don't know. I suggest you check the scene of Holly's death. It's the normal spot where savagely grieving lovers go when their lover dies." Carthage regaining his suave commented lazily. 

The death glare that Valerio was to give was never seen by Eternity as she closed her eyes to the scene in front of her. "Goddess..." She whispered to herself as she pulled her hand to her head, supporting it. Valerio's grip left her and she was suddenly alone standing in the harsh room. 

"I'll find out where they've gone." Valerio's voice sharp told Carthage. Carthage raised and eyebrow in return. "This requires a slight grace you lack." Valerio softly commented as lightly as possible. Carthage snorted in return evidently not worried by Valerio's sensitivity to this subject. 

"What? Because she died? Or because she was raped?" Carthage sneered. His eyes were dead as he spoke. Nothing changed. 

"Both." Valerio was quiet but firm in his voice. It made not difference to Carthage who just ignored him. Eternity was stunned. That must have been the worse news. 

"But you know they think it was one of those Midday Sun lot. 'Cos she was a vampire and Hellfire's lot wouldn't have bothered with one of their own to rape and murder. And fuck they didn't need to rape her she gave it up easily enough." Eternity flinched. Carthage paused then continued softer and more deadly. "So if it came to a case of which one of us is more suited to deal with this it might be one of her own."

"I though Daybreak were suppose to be rid of these prejudices." Valerio said finishing the discussion with a flick of his hand. Carthage naturally ignored the gestured as Eternity collapsed back onto the setae. What an awful death she had had. Even a whorre didn't deserve that kind of death. Not that Holly was a whorre...

"And what do you expect me to do? Sit here and baby-sit?" Carthage asked gesturing violently to Eternity. Valerio hesitated with a mixed decision on his face. He then nodded winking to Carthage before exiting the building at top speed.

Carthage turned back to Eternity his face smirking with disgust. Eternity looked up at him mimicking his dead eyes. Oh the fun they would have......

-*-

If you love me you'll review! Redaura if you love me you'll review twice cos you didn't once last time and you're suppose to be my best friend.

Bex Drake: Well apparently the stab wound didn't kill the fat pasty so Valerio is back. Unfortunate that isn't it?

Practikal Magik: That was a cool rebiew. Long and funny! Starkers is not gay and you'll see in the next chapter he not gay. Don't be so dirty and Carthage would appeciate that but he's not interested. *ebil laugh*

Thade182: Updated and really shhh you don't need to scream. He's staying back now. Well maybe...... I could..... but you'd hate that..... but I could..... review and I'll see.......


	9. Act Two: Broken

__

Brothers blood is a bond that is never broken

The dark dank street that held the offices of the Midday Sun, in which Dover's pencil hit the pad of paper beneath it harder and harder. His turquoise eyes were fixed upon a poster opposite reading 'We are not the Slave; they are not the Master'. Standing behind him was the elegant Cathcarte, his suit neatly pressed, it's black inky texture adding a desperate feel to the already dull and heavy room. 

Dover was leaning back in his chair, his legs spread wide under the desk, his hands; one resting on the desk, the other tapping the pencil impatiently. The unfortunate, to whom this was all directed at, was taking it like a lamb to the slaughter. His palms were sweating, his feet shifting, his noise flicking like the rabbit he so resembled. In the dark black room he stood out as brown and weak. 

"What do you have to say for yourself?" The rabbit jumped and turned to look up at the black heart, black haired Cathcarte who sneered from his position; half his suit in shadow, half of the rest of his upper body in shadow. The tapping which had become the heart beat of the room stilled to a mere nothing.

"I-I...." The foolish man's words had long since given up rational collected words and instead spluttered out hopeless and baseless sentences. "The others... and she... forever I will never touch another women... I swear by my mother I never meant to do harm." The rabbits eyes, darkened by the extended pupil gasping for light, quivered as the lead of the Sun leant forward to him and spoke in such quiet elicit tones that the man never hoped to hear again.

"When the mother holds her babe in her arms does she ever think of what he'll become? Does she ever think her sweet, small babe will become anything like what he will be? Did the great mother Rhea ever look at her babe and think what he would become? Hades, Lord of the Dead?" His whisper was so quiet the dead could struggle to hear it but in the dead room it was as loud as a battle cry. "You have done what you have done. Now except the consequences."

The man's face grew a pale shade of green as his eyes widened to the size of plums and his voice let out a cry of fear that only a man close to the end can make or understand. The door to the room burst open letting in two men of burly build and fixed complexion. They grabbed the man's arms and legs the humble crunch of bone as the rabbit struggled unwilling of his destruction. The door slammed behind them in such a way that any unaccustomed presence in the room would have jumped assuming a gun shot. 

The room once more was deserted of any feel of anything except the overhaul of blackness that engulfed the room. Power and black. "Holly. The vampire of the local Circle Daybreak. Under the command of the recently returned Valerio. However at the time she was" He let a pause take the place of the word before continuing, "Carthage Prinze was still in charge of the unit. It's the same one Eternity is in." Cathcarte finished taking the seat on the opposite side of the room, totally hidden in shadow. 

From Dover's view he could not see his second though his second could see him. Trustingly he only moved back a small way so his face was touched by the shadows and hidden from Cathcarte. "She would not perhaps be best about when this war begins." Cathcarte added from the shadows. "You have put off taking her for a long time-"

"Your getting off track." Dover reminded his second with a firm obedience. Even without seeing his second Dover knew he was smiling. Blood, murder, sex and scandal was something Cathcarte revelled in. "The girl. Of what importance was she?" Dover picked up the scetch pad and pencil and as he spoke vague lines were put upon the page. 

"She was of not as much importance in standings. She held no rank. She held no special skills. She was just a beautiful vampire female. Why she joined Daybreak is unknown by the team. She's probably from not so well off vampire family but saying that she could just as well be a Redfern. Her surname isn't on any of the records." Cathcarte briefly informed Dover who was apparently consumed by his drawing.   
  
He stopped to digest the information. His gaze travelled to where his roguish second should be sitting. "It intrigues me then, if she is a little as you say she is, why on earth her death if of such importance? Or is this something that will make me laugh?" He asked as his fingers moved back to the pencil and paper that so eagerly called his name. 

"The girl," The bodyless voice fromt he shadows informed him, "was loved by at least two of the team members. She was startlingly beautiful and had a personality of a fiery women of the day. She may of appeared to flaunt herself about but she was very much a conservative person when it came to sex." 

"And then five of ours gang raped her." Finished off Dover with a laugh. Stuck for a moment on his drawing he tapped the pencil once mroe against the solid wood of the table. "Anything else I need to know," He stopped and added the final touch to his sketch, "before I go into battle?"

"That," Cathcarte pointed out of the shadows to indicate the door in which the rabbit had left by, "was the last member of the team who attacked the girl. All others are dead." Dover chuckled and arose from the seat placing the pencil neatly on top of the pad on his desk. He left the door still chuckling to himself. 

Before exiting the room Cathcarte leisurely walked to the desk. His glance fell on the intended object of the inspection. The sketch pad displayed clearly the delicate lines of the pencil forming the intricate lines of a face. A young girls face. He smiled warmly for just a second before the smile of warmth and friendship vanished beneath the cold furious exterior of the man who had nothing too lose. 

He joined his boss at the bottom story, just outside where the basement steps led down to the dungeons. A adolescent cry came up from the bowls of the building. Both ignored it. Both walked on into the dark dank alley. 

-*- 

The voices were male with deep threatening tones only induced by high feelings of emotion. The words hit the walls of the tight and narrow alley, not unlike Dover's own, and recoiled upon their creators. The words, also, were as plain to the group listening at the head of the alley as to the speakers at the tail. 

No windows opened onto this alley from the high old flats on either side. Rubbish lay spread out upon the alley and the vile smell showed rats to be in abundance. Weathered black plastic bags lay strewn where they had been gnawed through, their contents spread for the world to see. Raw, a dead fish smell combined with strong curries and gone off milk was the ending result. 

"Why did he make us leave her in the care of that idiot?! And look he's gone too! For fuck's sake are we going to find his body naked, raped and murdered down some fucking alley too?!" The yells of the highly excited vampire reached them with heart piercing emotions. He sounds like his voice was about to break with intense emotions to complex to put into words. 

A quieter voice replied in a dull dead tone, trying to reassure but lacking the fundamental ability to reassure under such conditions. Another voice added to the chorus but this voice made no words and the tone wavered too much to made into any firm emotion.

Dover rose from his place behind a particularly large pile of bins. Behind him was to be seen the three of his bodyguards and his most trusted second walking away towards the busy main road. He was not spotted by the Daybreaker until he was within ten foot. When he was all three froze and look up at him two with eyes that portrayed no emotion or life. 

"What?" The one crouching on the ground leaning over the broken figure asked. Above him the tall witch stood, his head one on side his eyes large and cool. Behind him, kicking a wall, a vampire yell and cursed. The vampire's eyes were not dry. 

And then there was the broken and bloodied figure. Tanned skin of almost Spanish or Italian origin spread over the body with only exception for paler parts on the bikini areas. The hair was long and spread behind her head framing it. The eyes were open staring up into the sky with a desperate plea. But the body was not of an angel for blemishes of bruises lay upon her neck and chest, dirt clocked half her left arm and heart was pierced in an ugly hole formed by a stake. She was not mummified, but beautiful in death.

"My men did this." Dover said breaking the silence as he studied the girl's face. The words had the magical effect of bringing a change in the person around him. The crouching shifter closed his eyes and fell back upon the hard pavement behind him, his hair brushing a banana skin, Valerio scratched his head and cleared his throat, carefully inconspicuously glancing at the vampire behind him. 

The vampire had stopped making all noise and had focused all his attention on Dover who stood still fixed upon the body. "Starkers." Valerio carefully ordered in a calm indifferent tone. However no movement came from the vampire as he stood staring upon the tall broad but weaker human. 

"Why?" From the ground beside Dover's feet the high pitched broken voice of the shifter asked. He was not crying but the racked emotions passing through him were evident. "Why?" He asked again, this time his voice squeaked. 

"They thought she was a Night World whorre." Dover replied mournfully in a level tone. His gaze did not drop as he met Valerio's eyes. "My men have been punished." Dover commented as Starker's enraged voice boomed out over the closet street.

"She was not a whorre! She was not! This is your fault!" Starkers eyes were streaming tears as he came close behind Valerio and yelled with all the frustration and hurt of the love he had so kept for years in secret. "This is you! You did this!" He pointed as he yelled at Dover who excepted it with a admitting head and a proud posture. 

"Starkers." Valerio began but more of Starker's protestations came out in rampant English and his accusing finger came ever closer to Dover's face. "Starkers." This time louder Valerio ordered. No notice was paid as Starkers yelled words at Dover with them ebbing out of his soul. "Starkers." It was a shout this time and Valerio turned to look the man directly in the eye but Stakers was too absorbed to see him. 

"I could have her. We said we wouldn't have her. We said we'd let her live. She didn't love either of us so we let her get on with her life. But she didn't get on with her life. She died. She's dead. Oh by the gods she dead." Wellies moaned in pain on the floor rolling in the litter finally crying himself, letting the broken sobs come out between every heart torn sentence. 

The crescendo of noise peaked as Starkers shouted diving ever closer to Dover, on the floor Wellies moaned and cried out, Valerio stood one hand on each shoulder of Starkers shouting at him to listen and Dover stood in the middle of this all perfectly still, perfectly quiet. 

Until Valerio made the fatal mistake of letting Starkers go. 

Starkers flew at Dover. Dover stepped back. Dover tripped over Wellies. Wellies clawed at the man who destroyed him. Starkers jumped on Dover. Starkers ripped apart Dover. Valerio tried to pull him off. Starkers still tore at Dover's neck. Valerio inched him off. 

Starkers screamed as he was forced to let go. But it was ok. 'Cos the bastard lay dead, his face would not be recognised now. Holly would never have to worry about it again. Not in her nightmares. Not any more. 

And Dover lay perfectly still, perfectly quiet.

-*-

I would like to make a public announcement: Starkers will kill the next person who says he's gay.

Anatia: I'm so glad you like to have Ole Val back. But it's the beginning of the end. I'm so glad you like my stories that much. 

Practikal Magik: You so nasty. Poor Starkers. Oh yeah, Carthage and Eternity will enjoy their afternoon with each other. Not that one of them is scared shitless of the other and the other has an slight hate of the others boyfriend... Do you actually talk in any other kind of sentences?

Bex Drake: Carthage and Valerio brothers? Ummm... Interesting point but nope. Carthage thinks himself the bad ass vampy of this fic. Valerio is a witch. Eternity's fault she stuck in the middle? Well I admit to her being a bit of a twat but it's not her fault.

Redaura: *sticks tongue out* poetry makes sense to me! You like Carthage you shouldn't laugh at him. You shouldn't love my ebil side. I love it too much.

Nefertity: love the name. Egyptians always had such interesting gods. I hope this keeps up to your standard. 

Now for the shameless plug: Ever wanted to join a Role Playing Game? An LJS RPG never the less but never had the oppertunity. *corny music* well it's here. Myself, Practikal Magik and Redaura have all started a new RPG called War of Three. It is based on the NW concept of the three circles; Midnight, Twilight and Daybreak. Have a peek at: 

And don't forget to review!


	10. Act Two: Redemption

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Redemption is what we strive for; regret is what we achieve

The plush apartment overlooked the raging pedestrian streets of the town below. Men in long dull coloured coats swirled between women wobbling along in high heels and little black bags in twos or threes. The suite of appartments was built opposite the city's cathedral which was an average cathedral with the only exception of having a rabbit warren of tunnels beneath it. Nothing to unusual. 

Hellfire leaned back in his chair carefully rubbing his bottom lip with his index finger. The room he was in was intended to be a master bedroom but lacking in some floors (or more accurately too many of them) Hellfire used it as his office. Beneath the building was where he slept for the moment.

"My lord?" The question came from the tall stoned-looking vampire behind the door. Hellfire did not bother looking up but kept his gaze on the floor still running his finger along his lip. "News has just arrived from the MS region of town." Hellfire moved his two fingers in his mouth and brushed the two extended fangs. "It's important, my lord."

Hellfire removed his fingers and placed his unforgiving eyes upon the intruder to his sanctuary. "Dover?" He asked with a flippancy that made the other forget what he was carrying. A satisfactory bang came from behind the door. "Is he in great difficulty by any chance? Suffering from a slight bout of revenge maybe? Tell me how bad our poor little human friend is."

The intruder cocked an eyebrow and begot a serious face. "He's dead milord." Before he turned and shut the door softly and gently. A silence once more descended on the room but it had not the pleasing affects it had had before. These thoughts were no longer ones that could be churned safe in the mind. These ones were ones that had to be acted.

If Dover truly were dead as a doornail then it made everything a little harder for him. New things needed to be taken into account if they were to work, old things must be edited. If he were not halfway through his plans he would redo the whole scheme but as it was he must continue with it and pray for Daybreak co-operation. However they had been so helpful so far they may well continue to be...

"Boy." The door swung open to reveal the shaggy haired peaceful looking distant vampire. "Midday Sun will not waste time. They will bury him tonight. And when they bury him, I wish you two to pay your respects to the dead." The floppy hair in the eyes danced as the boy blinked but said nothing. "Then, if you'd be so kind, I'd like you to pay private respects to the body. Dig him up half an hour after they've gone, if you'd be so good as to but the earth back afterwards too."

The boy nodded, hair falling in his eyes again. Within the sleepy eyes came a glint of almost malice. It almost looked like the boy had listened through his dazed sleep. But in fact the boy looked everything he was not.

-*- 

"I don't care"

"You will when you spend millions on a therapist." 

"I will not! I'll never have a therapist."

"I did once. Blood type O."   


"Ew, I don't want to know! Anyway the only thing that will ever even send me near a therapist is-" A pointed look came before the scream. "What the hell do you think you're doing." She scrambled away onto the closest couch, and pulled her feet off the ground. 

"Killing things. According to you its the only thing I'm good at." Carthage snapped the rats neck like it were a twig before he threw it into a basket with another few dead rats. 

"You shouldn't read people's private thoughts." Eternity reprimanded. "And anyway what are you going to do with all of them?" She motioned to the rats. Carthage turned around to look at her from where he was kneeling by the open closet door. He was holding a small rat by it's tail. It was squealing horrifically. Eternity fell silent and watched the trembling rat. Carthage broke it's neck quickly and cleanly with a sickening crack. 

"Use the catapult I found down there and practise my aiming at Mrs Cole and that wonderful dog of hers." Eternity ran from the room, hand to mouth, her face a shock white. Over the sound of the theme tune to James Bond Carthage heard the sound of human puking. He waited until she came back before continuing. She came back in five minutes later, her face damp with water, her hair sticking up at odd angles. "It has to be done Etty, it's not my fault the batty old witch who was here last bred rats."

Eternity glared at him as he reached into the cupboard to bring out another from the homemade cage. In the basket a rat's body twitched. Eternity felt the bile rise in her throat once more. Calmly she swallowed it and dried her face on her fleeces sleeve. Carthage spoke again, just as Eternity feigned all her attention on the tv. "I suppose everything's back to normal with you and Valerio." 

Eternity's body stiffened as her gaze left the snow ridden mountain scene chase. "Yes." No. A sickeningly harsh crack silenced even the gunshots from the tv. Eternity's eyes raised to the ceiling and she counted slowly to ten, not for stress, but for strength to not run out the room. 

"You're lying. Valerio's not the same any more. When I took over, he lost his power. Now I have it. And he can't quite get it back can he?" Eternity turned to look at the kneeling vampire who was holding the dead body of the rat he had just killed like a nymph. 

"Is that all you care about? Power? Is that all he means to you? A way to get more power? You knew him for Isis knows how long and you don't even care if he's alive or dead!?" Her eyes were set accusingly, her mouth drawn, her head tilted. "If you want power so much why don't you go out there and join Hellfire? He'll give you more power than you ever dreamed of? Go on. Leave us. With him is where you belong."

"I care but not for him." Menace was drawn into his voice and a distaste like he'd just drunk something bad filled his face. He stood, still holding the rat in his arms. "Now I suggest you remember your place Eternity Tippert. Because for what you're saying-" He was cut off by the ringing telephone. The pair lay frozen wanting to continue their battle but knowing their selfish want would achieve them nothing but hurt. 

Carthage dropped the rat a top the others and stormed out the room slamming the door behind him. Eternity jumped with the force of the door. She stood to leave the room but she realised in doing so she would have to pass the rats. So she sat in the chair and listened as well as she could, putting the tv on mute. 

Silence came for a few minutes. But then a slam and a crash and a bang. Carthage was breaking things like he did when he was mad. She huddled on the setae too cowed to unmute the tv, to frightened by the noise of the anger. 

The noise stopped after half an hour. The door opened presently. The cold white blue eyes glinted with the icy death he so often delivered. "Holly has been found." He spoke with such control that Eternity cowered. What was worse was he did not look angry. His face looked confidently puzzled and his eyes were fixed upon her. He took a step forward. "Her body. Broken, beaten."

Eternity clamped down on a shiver that ran along her spine, trickling down onto an arms before she could freeze it. She could not freeze it when he took another step forward so he was level with the rats. "Midday Sun. They were the ones who killed her. Led by Dover."

Carthage ran a hand through his shoulder length blonde hair before stepping forward once more. "Not any more. Dover was a good man. He didn't deserve what he got. He knew what he wanted. He wanted the end to the vampires. He wanted an end to Night World. The fuckers don't deserve to live he said."

Eternity's mind struggled to focus on the words. He was so close now his aftershave was affecting her. His aura was intoxicating her mind. But why did he know Dover? No one knew much about Midday Sun... "But his boys killed Holly."

"They thought she was some Night World whorre." She was.... "Yeah she was. But she fought for us. And that made her special." He said the last part with sarcasm and his gaze never left her, never moved, never shifted. "But she was killed. Raped, beaten, killed." 

Eternity's body was forced up into a corner of the couch, trying to hard to shrink into nothing. She felt, by just being near him, the weight of his anger. "And do you know what happened next? The FUCKING idiot let them go." He whispered the sentence as he moved the final pace forward to right above her. "Your BOYFRIEND let the love struck VAMPIRE and DOG go at the human. What the hell did he think would happen?!?" 

Eternity let out a gasp and bit down on the emotion that rose. "They ripped his skin to pieces, they tore out his heart, Eternity. They used their strength over him." 

The door to the living room opened. Neither moved to see who it was. Both were too occupied in each other. 

The magic did not last long. "What?" Valerio's soft voice came to Eternity through the misty wall against the world Carthage and she had built up. Valerio.   


She shook herself off and ran to him, passing the dead rats without noticing. He hugged her automatically taking in her body as he always had, with a gentle compassion that none even Holly would/had ever received. "What happened?" Valerio asked. She had not noticed in his reception a mood that tempered his normally composed response. He was angry. His voice was cold and his body tired. 

"What do you mean what happened?" Carthage answered from where he was standing facing where Eternity had been a second before. 

"You're tired. Don't blow your head at Carthage now." Eternity whispered into Valerio's hair. She felt him sigh, hold her tighter and kiss her head. "Is it true about Dover?" She asked louder so Carthage could hear. She heard the crack of a neck as Carthage resumed his occupation. Valerio did not seem disturbed by this behaviour and walked over to the couch and collapsed.

"Yes. He's dead. Starkers and Wellies are up in their rooms thinking about what they've done." Eternity sighed. She didn't blame them. They had loved her passionately with every grace of the silent lover, who can see but not touch. But in their place if she had a chance to get at Hellfire after Valerio's death then she would have ripped his heart out too. And burnt it black, if it were not already that colour. 

"His death will not go unavenged." Carthage commented from the neck snapping. His eyes had dulled to their normal. Eternity still shifted away from him. "Midday Sun will take Daybreakers lives. An eye for an eye. An eye for arms. There are more of them in this town than us." 

"Carthage I found this on Dover's body, more pacifically his wallet." Valerio held out a card to Carthage. "I thought I'd return it to you. And hope you could explain to me, without giving me the obvious explanation why it was there." 

Carthage looked up with dead eyes to Valerio. Valerio looked down with cool eyes to Carthage. And Eternity closed her eyes to the world.

-*-

Review please. Shameless plug again: if you want to join a fantastic RPG the addy is in my profile... but review!!!!!!

Bex Drake: Dover's dead? Darling if I kill someone are they ever really dead?

PM: You will see... It's all going to come out eventually. Next chapter is a real shocker I'll tell you that. Real shocker. 

Thade182: Dover's death was a little poetic was it not? Some people count killing people as a good thing.... I mean if someone killed Hellfire would that not be a blessing?

Review cos the sooner you get me to update the sooner I get to drop the bombshell...... 


	11. Act Two: Rephrase

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Perhaps you'd like me to rephrase that? Hate you? Ardently. Love you? Beyond all reason

As the shadows faded and melted into the never-ending black of the night, the stagnant air in the house dipped back behind the eminent facade of placidity. A fair few took to sleep to wash away the blood, some merely sat. The path ahead was covered in a thick black mist from which voices laughed and screamed. So much had passed. So much yet to come. 

The phone lay on the hook silent as it had been since carrying forth the fatal news. Beside it sat the watching Carthage. Opposite him sat Valerio. Here the blood still hung so thick and draped not even the flies dared bother them. Neither slept, neither spoke. 

The cold invaded the mind of the broken. Wellies lay spread eagle on his bed, his mouth caught in the name he no longer said, his eyes closed to the cold about, his ears shut to the silence within. Sleep it may not be but the beast lay silent, not in grief, not in sorrow. 

Shut away from the world Starkers sat. Curtains shut, breathing regular, mind clear and sharp. Cut apart from others he sat a book balanced on his knees, a picture in his mind. Upon the book lay a necklace of silver and white gold, a cross with Latin scribed into it. On the page behind the necklace there lay a corresponding Latin notation and the translation with various texts and pictures. To him, who knew this information by heart, the knowledge of the past meant everything and to the future nothing. 

Eternity slept a dreamless sleep. The sleep was a time to fill hours not for refreshment. The mind was tired, the body was racked. Injuries were left unattended and her tears lay stiff upon her flushed cheeks. Through it all she was still a child, stuck in an age with the desire for freedom and hope had not been checked by the practicalities. Through it all she was alone.

Back in the silent kitchen, back to the silent pair the peace was shattered. A creek and a fall followed the sounds of footsteps speeding across the grass. Both rising, both pacing, both glaring, both warring. Carthage picked up the letter that had fallen through the letterbox. It was address to 'Pazler' and underneath 'Daybreak'. Carthage resentfully handed it over. 

Valerio took it back to the kitchen laying it out upon the table Carthage next to him. The sheaf of paper was thick and white a mark of class being held about it. The black ink used matched that used by the letterhead which ran **Midday Sun**. 

The letter ran as follows.

__

Dear Enemy, dear friend,

I hope this letter finds you in good health.(Carthage snorted)_ I have, as I am sure you have, heard varied accounts of what has happened over the last twenty-four hours. To me this is a great tragedy. Dover was a great friend and mentor to me and I will mourn many nights his loss._

Due to unforeseen circumstance the plans of Midday Sun have been sent array. I intend to carry on this work, with your help, ignoring this incident. ("Incident my foot" Carthage laughed) _It was I believe Dover's intention earlier today to make peace with Circle Daybreak though the death was a catastrophe. His suggestion I now make to you._

Midday Sun proposes to Circle Daybreak that a truce is formed. This truce is set on the grounds that the threat from Hellfire is far greater than one alone can handle. It is also set on the burying of all past grievances; forgive and forget. And lastly it is set on the hope of the end to the war finally. 

With this I leave you, an end is insight I hope. 

Cathcarte

****

President of Midday Sun

Midday Sun

A long breath stretched out of Valerio as he relaxed into one of the chairs behind him. Next to him Carthage remained standing. They both kept to their own thoughts for a good few minutes after. When they did an air of caution tinted their voices. "An end?" Valerio half asked, half suggested.

"A lie." Carthage said from the corner of the room behind Valerio and furthest from the letter. 

"What is your connection with..." He left the question open, his arms inviting an answer forth. He fingered the knife in his belt, whilst waiting for an answer.

"I knew him. Vaguely. I needed him for business arrangement. We shared some ideas..." Carthage let the answer trail out as the question had. "I knew him well enough to know that is a lie."

"If you shared ideas why, if the idea of this letter is of peace, and daybreak's ideas are peace should it be a lie? Or, Carthage, do you not believe in peace between us and the humans." Carthage's lip curled. Valerio turned to watch him, as the immeasurable silence taunted. 

"We should not trust this letter." Was all the vampire admitted. Valerio sighed. 

"We, as daybreak should do all we can for peace. Not give up on the only hope of it we have seen in a long time." Valerio sensibly stated. The door creaked and a bleary eyed Wellies came in. He headed straight for the instant coffee. "There's something you'd better see." Valerio told the shifter who waved him off and waited until a steaming cup had been prepared. 

Wellies took a gulp before speaking. "You've got to stop arguing it won't do any of us any good. We need a plan and we need action. Wait until the war's over before you fight. We'll have one war at a time thank you." Carthage took this with a small laugh, Valerio did not seem to appreciate the humour. Wellies scanned the letter carefully. Valerio noted with a subconscious sigh the shifter had lost the glint in his eye. 

"Righty-oh then. We have the swine of the Sun on our side. We'll better two against one than three against three." Carthage's eyes narrowed as Valerio relished slightly in the victory. "Eternity's coming down so you boys behave." Wellies didn't even grin as he pulled the joke. He spoke the words like he were reading them from an auto-que. 

Eternity entered wrapped up in a thick shawl of purple knit. Her eyes were dazed and she looked about a minute before walking dazedly over to Wellies and drinking his coffee. No man spoke to her and aside from Wellies she looked a none. Starkers did not come down. Valerio wanting assurance handed Eternity the letter. She read it with no expression and handed it back without comment. 

"Who agrees to meet him?" Valerio spoke with the calm of authority he possessed. Wellies nodded his consent, Eternity and Carthage remained blank. "Who does not wish to meet him?" Carthage indicated his opinion with a nod of the head, Eternity remained blank. "Motion carried." Valerio spoke trying to lay the peace between the two with his tone.  
  
"If we go," Carthage spoke almost choking on his own rage, "we must take precautions." Valerio nodded to this. "Not both of us should go. And we should take back-up." Carthage furthered his voice with command. Valerio's eyes moved away from his and Carthage's found their way to Eternity's which were fixed with no precision on him. 

"No." The remark came from Valerio with a soft hint. The argument may be controlled but the battle of wills were not willing to give. "Their ranks are weaker than us. They are all human besides." Carthage looked up sharply at this, his eyes flaring in the dim light. "I agree we should take back-up but there is no reason why all of us should not attend."

"There is no reason why some of us should attend." Carthage said with an air of malice about him. His crystal eyes had fallen into the black rims they sometimes carried. The olive skinned Valerio squashed the emotion to dive upon him that moment. Their conversation had fallen into the taboo. 

"There is no reason why some of us should not attend. We are all fighters of daybreak. Anyway we are not to discuss that now. There are other matters at hand." Valerio stopped the choking rage from within him escaping and picked up the phone. He reported all details to headquarters and they promised to consults theirs and send another squad in to help. The harsh air had not fallen when he replaced the phone.

"He has left no instructions of how to reach him." Eternity spoke for the first time. Valerio seemed surprised that she was still there. He nodded and smiled at her, she however had already looked away. Carthage sneered and almost jeered at Valerio silently from where he leant on the counter. Wellies grimaced. 

"Why can't you grow up?" He challenged Carthage with an anger unknown by him. "You were so much better when Valerio wasn't about. You were a responsible leader, you were wise, you knew what you were doing. Now he's back you back to being the prat kid you were a year ago. All you want is power. Well if that is all you want join the bloody Night World." 

Carthage rounded on him with a flourish. "Why don't you shut your mouth shifter? What he's suggesting is suicide even you with your dog brain could see that. That letter is not from Midday Sun that is the most obvious thing in the world. And even if it were do you really trust them enough to walk out somewhere to meet them. For all you know there could be thousand of-"

"You should know shouldn't you?" Eternity's voice harsh and accusing stopped Carthage mid-sentence. "After all you were the one running to them every time you got in trouble weren't you. I always wondered who you spoke to for council, who was your mentor. Traitor. What would your daddy say? His only son running off to humans every time he was in trouble?"

Carthage made no reply. He was silenced by the vindictive tone in her voice and cool in her eyes. The little mouse bit back. Valerio scratched his neck. "Stop arguing. There's no point. We have to decide how-" The phone rang. Valerio, who was closest picked it up with a flourish. Beside him in a second Carthage stood listening. 

The one sided conversation left everything to the imagination. Valerio looked sombre as he spoke, whilst Carthage looked mad. When the phone was finally hung up Valerio turned to speak. His voice carried the sign on age. "That was Cathcarte. We're meeting. Tomorrow night. In industrial area of town in a warehouse. Back-up should be with us by then." He looked to Carthage before sitting down.

Carthage spat into the sink and blinked. "It's stupid. It's suicide." He looked hard at Valerio before sitting down beside him. Wellies and Eternity were sat around the table as well. From Carthage's eyes Eternity could see he was not defeated. "I won't have..." Carthage left the sentence incomplete. Without Starkers there there was no hint for Eternity of the conversation.   


Starkers at least normally provided for Eternity a vague subject and who was shouting more (Carthage by norm), now it was all she could do to read their empty faces. Wellies slammed his fist down, apparently too irritated by the lack of information. "If your going to fucking argue will you please at least do it outloud?!" He shouted. The affect was immediate. 

"I don't mind you killing your fucking self but I won't have you-"

"Do you really think I'd allow-.... What business is it of yours anyway?" Valerio belted out across the relatively small table. "What right do you have? School boy crush is all you have." 

Carthage stood up, his palms flat on the table, his chair scraping as it was flung backwards. "More than you." His voice was quiet now all the anger he had injected into those three words. 

"I am leader and I am judge of what is safe for all the members of this squad. She's my girlfriend." Valerio was calmer with pride in his voice. The puffer fish blowing out it's body to make itself look bigger. Carthage brought out his needle...

"Oh yeah? Well she's my soulmate."

Slam.

-*-

Review! And I'll give you a chapter to remember........ Thank you all I got a great response to the last chapter It was a pleasure to hear you all enjoyed it. 

Bex Drake: I hope I've manage to shock you again. 

Thade182: That's the spirit. So for the not quite lightening fast update but I can blame it on tony blair so it's not my fault. I hope you enjoyed this chapter two and I'm so glad you're enjoying it.

Tony: I have my arse in gear and hope you appeciate this chapter. And I'm glad you liked that li

Arrylle Gamere: Nice name and love the compliment dude. I have very *coughs* unique names... They take much time to come up with... 

Anatia: I think after your comments on the Carthage/Eternity relationship this chapter would have been of great enjoyment to you. I hope it was. This cliffhanger is probably the nastiest I could have done. Thank you so much.

Redaura: *updates* Bloodbath approach again? What are you on about? When was the last time I massacred my entire cast?

Aya8: Don't know if you've read this far but I'm glad you liked the prologue. I hope you enjoy the rest....


	12. Act Three: Cries

__

The cries of the children echo throughout the valley and all you hear is the song of the birds.

The beach stretched out like a black river winding slightly until finally it passed round a bend. A distant mist threatened to cut off the view of the black sand river finally disappearing round the bend. The rough ocean leap in up on this river, dragging it back into its depths, laughing as it sucked away the upper layer of dull blackness. 

On the other side of the river a dull bank of green arose from the black. Long stems of long suffering fern lingered upon the surface of the beach brushing the very edge of the sand as the rough gusts of wind passed by. 

But this was all far below. Here she stood atop a steep grey cliff to look and admire upon the barren and rugged landscape below though she had never been there. Eternity stood still, the gusts blowing her hair forwards blocking her vision of the dark river until they died once more and the river became clear again. 

She turned her face then, directly into the wind, to look at him. He stood looking directly out to sea. He did not speak but she heard ~Out there is America. The land of the Dream. The land of false idols and plastic people. Behind me is England. Past is there. The future there.~ He nodded out towards the distant land he looked for in the growing mist. His tone was listless and cold. 

Another cold breeze past over her, she shivered clasping her arms to herself. He stood in a thin short sleeved T-shirt but let no hint the bitter breeze affected him. She looked to the floor and shuffled her feet wanting to find the words to say but like so often they never came. She edged a step towards him, to which he responded to her for the first time by turning his head so his eyes, just his eyes, could see her. She knew those eyes so well. Her eyes dropped instantly but rose again with a slow wariness. 

He seemed to change then, from the younger more fearful inexperienced boy he had been to the controlled leader she knew him as. Only later did she realise what changed was the loss of fear it had held a second earlier. He also seemed to lose soul; the hope the had chased about his face left and as the emotion drained so did the heart. This was the Carthage she knew.

"Why did you tell him?" She asked feebly standing awkwardly in his memory. Cold, so so cold. The breeze seemed to beat against her then until the harshness left Carthage's face. She felt his emotion then and it scared her more than anything else did. Longing. 

"I told him because he had a right to know." There is no pretending when you head and heart both lie totally exposed to another. ~But that's not why you told him~ Eternity half thought half told. She took a half step forwards lost in those blue eyes. "It is time that bastard knew. Can you imagine how I have suffered all these years seeing you two together?"

"And do you think I have not, every time you bring a girl, to fuck, did you not think I would know? Did you not think I would hear all of it?" Bitter tears were beat from her eyes as the wind beat against her and the vaguest droplets of rain began to fall. Carthage's face had engraved all the look of the boy it had held a second before whilst in the wild storm eyes she saw a tear beginning to form. "And do you not think," Her voice shook as she whispered, "that every time I looked into your eyes I saw this place?"

"I offered you myself. I told you I would give everything for you. And ALL YOU DID WAS CRY! DO you think this is easy for me? Living with that bastard day in day out when what was mine was with him?" Carthage's voice was worn like the very cliff they stood upon shouting shouts that were lost in the wind which had gathered. Upon the black beach the ocean roared louder than ever. "And did you not think I would not hear every time you made love?" 

Eternity could not look into those eyes and instead looked out to the distant sea which was obscured by the gathering mist. A guilt to the likes of which she had never felt before desended upon her and she closed her eyes to it. Behind her the broken voice of a broken man continued, "And how do you think it feels to have someone who you love with every ounce of your being in love with another man? And how do you think it feels to have someone you love denounce you as a traitor and a liar?"

"Did I choose this life?" He echoed her thoughts with his broken voice which wavered unsteadily. She blinked to clear her vision of the tears that swamped it. "Why wasn't it me?" Her body shivered, though the wind had died and the rain was falling now, fast and light, bouncing off her shoulders and running down her face mixing with the tears. 

His touch electrified her as it always had. The same mix of bile and hatred rose to her mouth as it always had when he touched her. The same mix of relief and comfort released from her mouth as it always had when he touched her. His hand was placed on her hip, his body was, she knew as she felt sparks of lightening passing through the rain between their two bodies, right behind hers. Her head dropped in defeat as his left unoccupied arm rested around her body and his head came to rest above hers. 

A moment of peace held, the rain stopped and the wind ceased. But a moment was all it was. 

"Let me go." Her whisper was swept away by the wind but he heard her speak anyway. She did not repeat the words and he did not let her go. To Eternity it seemed as though the wind was dragging away her resistance. With every passing second the determination not to give into him was weakening. 

~Would that be so bad?~ His thoughts were not aimed at her but she reacted as though it was whiplash, withdrawing her thoughts from him, hiding herself within them. His head dropped from above hers and he gently brushed her neck with his breath. To her it was like someone walking over her grave. 

Why did she have to fight him anyway? What was so wrong with this place? She tried to remember, but his breath, like poison, was clouding her thoughts. What was so important to remember? Valerio. Everything became clear as ice and Carthage's body withdrew. He was behind her now. Somewhere. Close but not as close. Valerio, she owed her life to him. Valerio who loved her and cared for her. Valerio who was everything she had ever dreamed of. After years of being together she loved him just as much as she ever had.

Minutes passed in an endless silence. Her eyes were shut to his world as she let the silence beat down on her like ice. Chills passed through her as she tempted to believe that when she'd opened her eyes they'd be home. She opened her eyes. 

White. Everything about her was white. A glorious gentle beauty of swirling white that danced about. White was everywhere. A bit landed on her eye, she blinked, feeling the cold and wet... Snow. Snowing so heavy and so hard she could barely make out the black beach below, which was no longer black, except where the sea cut in. 

She could still feel Carthage behind her. He was cold now. Beautiful, but cold. Like ice. "I love him." She felt the taste of hate in the words. At herself. "You were hardly about. We didn't find out until it was too late. By then. And you were so immature. We would have been, we would be, unhappy together. We can't get along."

"We've never tried." His voice was quiet and toneless. The snow danced around her face and distracted her from the comment. Gradually the snow slowed and stopped leaving behind a blanket of white covering as a far as the eye can see. "Isn't love all that matters?" 

Eternity jumped to her feet but it was too late. The vampire was already half in flight. She fell to her knees, her body unable to support her. She felt a searing black hole of pain rip throughout her body as she watched her soulmate disappear over the edge of the cliff. As his words echoed throughout the memory laughing and crying at her. "Isn't love all that matters?" 

-*-

"Are you okay?"

The voice drifted in from faraway. Eternity stirred. She felt heavy and her body did not want to obey. Vaguely she felt the drop and the pain as she fell off the comfy thing she was lying on. Groaning she opened her eyes. They stuck with dried tears that had fallen there. "Starkers?" She asked vaguely ignoring the dull pain that strung her body. Perhaps her blood had gone on strike.

She coughed as she sat up looking around slowly. Her vision was blurred but she could see a large black shape ahead of her. "Oh you don't sound healthy." The almost jolly voice of the normally jubilant Starkers came into her hearing. The room was dim with the heavy curtains crossing the windows but it was evidently Starkers room as he was the only one to hold such a darkened room. A real creature of the night. 

"What happened?" Eternity's groggy voice amused Starkers who picked her up and put her back on the bed she had rolled off. She looked up at him with unfocused tired eyes. She let off another fitful cough. "You weren't there.."

"Carthage told the world you were his soulmate and to prove it grabbed you. After that we had pandemonium." Starkers told her smiling for the first time since Holly's death. "I didn't need to be down there the shouts were loud enough. Anyway I arrived down there after a minute or so to find, get this. Valerio speechless, his mouth open, his eyes wide, the whole shamozy. You and Carthage looked like someone had got you with a freezer gun. Frozen in the positions you were left in. And Wellies was on the floor."

"Is Valerio all- Wellies was on the floor?" Eternity asked waking up. Her voice held a husky element and her tummy grumbled irritably. The sounds of Wellies normal wake up cartoons sounded from below.   
  
"Wellies was crying. Laughing and crying. My goodness you missed a pretty sight. Pretty awful I mean. Er, Carthage is in his den. Preparing for war. I don't wish to know against whom. Valerio is in your room. I don't know what he's doing. I took you because you were helpless against those mean men of yours." Starkers tried not to smile as he said this. The necklace hit him softly in the chest and he sobered quickly. 

Eternity's eyes dropped and she sat silently for a minute. "Breakfast." She said huskily before turning to get out of bed. Her body felt like lead. She looked up suddenly. "Is it morning?" She asked confused. Starkers nodded. "Did I sleep after?" Nod. "Did Carthage?" He shook his head then and shrugged. Eternity returned to thinking whilst walking out the room with Starkers in tow. She stopped at the head of the stairs. The door to their room was slightly ajar.

She slipped forwards to the open door. It creaked as she opened it some more. Valerio looked up from where he sat on the bed. The second their eyes met. The second later she turned and walked downstairs with all the resilience she had carried before. Starkers was already downstairs, she heard the clutter of pots and pans. 

Eternity sat at the table leaving Starkers to his favourite activity. He had put the radio on to one of his favourite HEART channels. The sounds of 'What a Girl Wants' blared into the room. Starkers was quickly singing along. Like nothing had happened. ~A friend in need is a friend indeed~ Starker's thoughts unintentionally sent to her left her to remember he heard her thoughts.

"Today." Carthage's voice carried through the music. He was carrying a newspaper and with him was Valerio. Both looked tall and old. "Today is the day we make peace or make war." He sat down opposite Eternity, Valerio stood next to her. 

"Today." Valerio confirmed. "Starkers after the breakfast check the weapons. For all of us." Starkers flipped a pancake. Carthage dropped the front page of the national newspaper. Eternity glanced at the back of the page he was now reading. The headline read 'Gun Crime drops by 32%'.

The irony escaped her for that moment.

-*-

Review and I will give you more chapters...... cos I'm lovely like that. Please!!!!!

Nada: Yes you have been closing to guessing me plot bunnies. I hope this meets you high expectations I doubt it will but I think the next chapter you'll enjoy.

Bex Drake: Bloody nice of you to say so darlin'. Thank you mightly. Hope you enjoyed this one.

Pandie Katteken: Yeah. Strange turn of events wasn't it. If I have time I will look at your story.

Redaura: I think you are in a minority of not liking Carthage. Only two people died in Red. How can you say that it was a bloodbath.

Amstar: I loved your review darling. I am so glad you like my story. I hope this chapter is satisfying and I hope you enjoy it. Thank you very much.

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Does anyone remember Michael Pope?


	13. Act Three: Hatred

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Dedicated to PM

Hatred belongs to those who are to feeble to loath

The three sharp bangs on the door came four hours after sundown. They awoke the drowsy occupants of the van with the air of forlorn morose warriors, tired of war. The door at the front of the van opened to allow the former banger to enter the quiet peace. "Time to go." Carthage's voice softened informed them as he dragged himself over Valerio to get his gun. 

Valerio stood slowly glancing round at his team. There were one or two backups, no one he had not already met and trusted. Eternity, Starkers and Wellies were at the far end of the van. Eternity's head had been resting on Starker's shoulder until then, her eyes unmistakably open but glazed staring unto oblivion. Wellies and Starkers had talked softly of matters that concerned no one else. 

"Starkers, Malvin, you're with me. Bring your guns and look tough. Carthage, take Jess up to the back and watch our backs. Wellies, Eternity, you will go in first." Here Valerio stopped and looked to Carthage who took over the instruction whilst fiddling with his MK47 and various small bits of black equipment. 

"Take the first exit on your left. There's a passage up to the walkway that circles above the warehouse floor. Use your sniper guns and cover us. Everyone we'll be facing," He was interrupted by Valerio who held his point through mental communication. Carthage rolled his eyes and rephrased. "We might be facing a resistance of humans. They may only be human but they sure as hell know what they're doing with these babies." He added just as he loaded the gun with a satisfactory click. "Now I know most of you are only familiar with fighting with swords or fisticuffs but today the humans today you get to play with the big boys." He made another click with the gun. 

"So you all have MK47s with ammo. Trigger there, release the safety there." He spoke imitating an air-hostess. "You two both know how to handle Snipers but make sure you put silencers on we don't want them finding you. Each of you is also carrying a pistol. Now here's the important bit." He let out an aristocratic smile that suited him. "Bullets. Each gun, thanks to the master importer of Guns, Hellfire, is suited to killing any species that shall hurl itself to you. The red button by the trigger controls which bullets you fire; wood, silver, metal. If you click it once silver bullets fire, another time after that metal another wood, another silver. You get the picture. Works on all guns." He said nodding to Wellies.

Carthage checked around the faces and nodded pulling back from his position dragged across half the van so he sat in the front seat. Valerio nodded to him in return and looked to his fighters. "No one is left behind." He rose as the backup troops and Starkers started for the piles of guns, taking theirs and dropping silently out the sliding backdoor of the truck. 

No one felt as if they were merely heading for peace talks...

-*-

Eternity padded softly into the corridor to her right. Behind her Wellies covered her back as she covered his. In turn one darted forwards, whilst the other covered. Basic training but effective. They reached the metal staircase that led to the walkway and Eternity was the first to travel up, holding her Sniper very close to her body. As she reached the head, she knelt down upon the cold harsh corrugated metal. She edged her gun around the corner looking through the magnifying end to spy out the walkway. It was clear. 

She motioned to Wellies who went up taking the first steps along the walkway. He was soft footed as the dog he changed into. He took aim in the eye piece scanning the area of targets. He looked down at her for the all clear by a nod. She joined him on the walkway lying down to get a better aim. She took time to scan the warehouse whilst waiting for the others to appear. Only then did she see the other walkway. 

She dug her elbow into Wellies's ribs. He winced and turned to her with an angry expression. She pointed upwards with her gun. He looked up to see the corrugated metal above them. Carthage who had scouted the area had said nothing about another walkway. That one could be used to Sniper themselves. The sounds of footsteps resounded through the warehouse. Eternity and Wellies went back to their positions, Eternity facing north, towards the van, Wellies south. Through the glass of her gun she saw the tall eminence of Valerio flanked by Starkers and the other backup. "Cathcarte?" Valerio called in a deep voice that echoed off the hollow building. 

The sound of a bullet whistling passed her ears was all she heard before the lights went out. 

The sounds of metal upon metal came as the running doors were pulled down. Beside her she felt the skin of Wellies become wrenched and contorted as he morphed. She pulled herself to her feet, leaving the Sniper where it was. Without night vision such a gun was useless. Taking the pistol out of her pocket she clicked the red button four times. Or at least she thought it was the red button but in this light she could only rely on one sense. 

The bark of a dog came to her as she felt her way along the walkway using the rails as guides. Shots sounded and shouts as this situation came all to familiar. The dog ran right passed her hurling himself down the stairs. Just as she cautiously reached the bottom step she heard his whimper. She hurried out towards the sounds knowing she would be no use no matter the situation.

In the dark that circled her laughing at her misfortune she saw or felt nothing. She could have been a millimetre away from him and not seen. Even the vampires she doubted could have seen in this light. She felt the cold grasp of a breeze and she guessed herself to be on the main floor of the warehouse out of the corridor she had travelled along. Grasping her gun close to her she aimed it at the nearest movement.

There was no time for a response for lights hit on. They were almost foot long spot lights that danced for a moment upon the ceiling before coming to rest on each other creating a steady bridge of light across the abyss of the warehouse. This light gave her no time to react for just as it was in place there was a sudden drop of movement.

And she screamed. 

-*-

It was barely a matter of seconds before she regained her mind once more. She was kneeling now, her legs must have given way, and her body was shaking physically wrecked. She was no crying but she was in no state to cry. She did not look up to see the body once more.

Etched into her memory, carved there for as long as she would live, was the image of a man. A human. Not more than twenty three of age, with blank staring turquoise eyes and they seemed to bulge out of his head. Around his neck was a rope, thick and strong. On his face a look of strangled pain and fear- the look of the man who is fighting for his last thread of life. 

His body is broken. The skin turned into red shards of blood a hole where his heart might be. His clothes are torn and soaked in dried blood. One of his shoes is missing and his socks show a picture of Peanuts. Beyond all that she still knew who he was. Beyond all that she knew him to be Dover, the leader of Midday Sun. And in his death she recognised the work of two ravaged lovers, two of her friends.

"They're trying to put you off, stay focused!" Carthage's voice she heard through the dark. The light below was no enough for vampires to see by but not her. She saw odd shapes but they made no sense when surrounded by shadow. "Vampires, they're vampires!! Not humans. This is Night Worlders, not Midday Sun." Carthage's information was said as though in orders. His last words were followed by a shot that impacted against something hard.   
  
Eternity picked up her shaking body from the ground feeling for the gun she must have dropped. Her hands only met metre after metre of concrete. "Valerio? Carthage?" She yelled into the black. An answering shout came from Valerio but it was faint across the distance. None came from Carthage. She was blind, deaf and dumb in this world of war. Blind because she could not see, deaf because her hearing could not tell her weather the shot was near or far and dumb because she did not even know who they were fighting. 

Because that fear was still there. What if Carthage had betrayed them? It fitted. If he was with Midday Sun then he could easily have bought them here for revenge, he could have easily ignored the above walkway from which the body was hanging and he could have easily sent her out the way so she would not get hurt. But she was sure Carthage would not do that. No matter who convincing the argument was she felt as though she knew him... but...

A strong arm grabbed her around the waist as she searched another area for her dropped gun. It lifted her up and carried her. She knew it was not Carthage. She did not panic. She felt him slow and pause for a second. She heard the slide and click of a locking door. Bright lights flickered on and she hid her eyes from them. The arm let her go and she bounced onto a couch. 

As the pain of the brightness subsided Eternity looked up. The tall figure infront of her was smoking. His eyes were calm and his features relaxed into a philosophical contemplation. His dress was a long black coat which was undone revealing a holster or two. On the table lay an MK47. Michael Pope's chocolate brown hair hung loosely over his aged wistful eyes. "Good evening, little girl. Glad to see those eyes are still large."

She blinked no knowing what he meant. Her eyes caught the sudden flare of movement and she grabbed at the thing thrown at her. It was her gun. "Thank you." She murmured looking down. She heard him drag his cigarette again. "What's going on?" She asked wandering whether he was going to kill her or leave her.

"War, little girl, war. The people of the Night World are fighting the people of Daybreak under the body of a little boy named Ben." Ben. It seemed odd for a fighter like that to have such a young name. Ben. Benjamin. Benjamin Dover... oh the boy must have been teased at school. Ben Dover. The sudden rush of pity and amusement was squashed by the very memory of his death. His bloody death at the hands of her friends. "Do you find war fair little girl?"

"War is a terrible thing. Killers are terrible. War brings destruction and pain and death. Famine, poverty." She said looking up at him surprised he was asking but wanting to let a Night Worlder know of the human pain. 

"'The only ones to see war end are the ones the soldiers bury'". Michael Pope absently quoted studying her with interest. She was not scared of him. He had a calming person. Michael Pope took out a jug of water and a glass from the desk he sat himself on and gave it to her. He himself sat on the sofa beside her. "Do you believe in what you are fighting for, little girl?"

"I am fighting for an end. An end to war." Eternity said quietly sipping her water with shaking hands. She took solace in his company his composure. He was a comforting person to sit next to. And he had probably saved her life again. But would he let her go? She doubted a second time.

"And do you believe that if the Night World falls, humans will just learn to except me and my kind? 'Sharing the world has never been humanity's defining attribute.'" She recognised the quote this time and let her mind wonder for a second. X men, Professor Xavier. Why had this vampire of Night World watched a distinctly human film? "As long as there is man, whatever species, there will be prejudice, there will be injustice, there will be war. I have seen enough to know that."

Eternity looked up at him her eyes sad and cold. She saw him standing now with his back to her and a cold chill ran down her spine. "Michael Pope." She said shaking even worse.

"My friends call me Hell's fire. Or simply Hellfire."

-*-

Review and I will love your for eternity!!! Oppps.... that was unintentional. Oh well... 

Bex Drake: awww glad to see someone likes Carthage! Thank you!

Nada: Please check your review and make sure you never call me that online. 

Thade182: Oh glad you like darling. Sorry for the delay. Lack of will to live was the cause.

Arrylle Gamere: Lovely reviewer you are. I'm glad your enjoying this so much. Please keep reviewing! And reading.... naturally........ *cough*

Hehehehe...........


	14. Act Three: Fear

****

Poem by Mary Elizabeth Frye

Practikal Magik, Bex Drake, Amstar thank you for your reviews much appreciated darlings...

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To fear is to have one's heart jump into one's mouth and one's stomach to disappear totally

Eternity's hands were shaking as she looked up at him. She was shivering but she was not afraid. Not yet. Just shocked. Though she had never seen a picture of Hellfire she had assumed he looked how his name sounded. Tall, which he was anyway, with flaming blonde red hair and wildly changing eyes like most Redfern's. But no. 

The vampire who stood in front of her was no more and no less than a beautifully ordinary human. Chocolate hair falling passed his ears, and wistfully flicking out at odd angles, his eyes a puppy dog look to them but with an age standing behind them shadowing the innocence they portrayed. His face had not changed physically since he had revealed who he was but Eternity looked up at him differently.

He was no longer the man who had saved her life that cold and lonely night. He was the man who had condemned her to this life. 

"But you can call me Michael." He said finishing off the sentence as though the two minute pause had never taken place. "No one does any more. We all have a reputation to keep, little girl and I have no one left to call me by my social name. My human name. I was once like you. Human. Pathetic and weak. Strong personality though or at least that's what Hunter's always said. And that's why he choose me."

Eternity's brains raced and raked up all information on Hellfire.... None of it was fitting. "No, it wouldn't, little girl." Michael Pope raked his hand through his hair throwing it back but some stubborn hair fell forwards in front of his eyes again. She ignored the twinge in her that her old friend Hayley would have placed, had she been there... _he's beautiful_. "Daybreak spies picked up information fed to them by me. As did Midday Sun though they were slightly cleverer than you lot. Midday Sun didn't trust people as much as you." 

Her mouth formed the O shape. She got the feeling he was secretly laughing at her. He stood up swiftly and walked to her. She looked down to the floor, a cold old fear beating at her. He laughed aloud and sat down next to her leaning back on the sofa. She could no longer see him and the feeling of fear rose again and she tasted the acidic bile in her mouth. She leant back and started to feel the presence of his arm around her shoulders. She kept her eyes down.

"On the subject of Midday Sun isn't it a terrible shame about Dover?" She let no physical sign of her repulsion to him but her mind was screaming something terrible. "Real shame. He was such a... brilliant fighter. But he's bound to make a mistake. He's only human." Eternity swallowed choking down the ball of anger in her throat. 

"And you've never made a mistake?" She asked. In the vaguest corner of her mind she was wondering why on earth she was not being bled dry. What was, possibly, the vilest man on earth's motive? What was he trying to do? Michael Pope let out a chuckle. 

"I have. Once." Eternity rolled her eyes. Once. Yeah right. "And I have a constant reminder of it." She felt his smile light up the room with a fiery humour. She shuddered against her will. "But no. My mistake will not be the death of me. His was." Eternity felt her hair being lifted and shuddered as Hellfire's fingers danced along the finer parts of her hair. 

"He had another mistake you see." His voice had changed to hide a hint of humour and he spoke around his smile. "Something he never forgave himself for." Hellfire let her hair drop back to her neck. He laughed as she shuddered. "You see Ben Dover was not his name. Actually his name was another." Hellfire contemplated this for a minute. In spite of herself Eternity held her breath to hear. He was intriguing her more than scaring. 

"Ben Dover was named 'Ben Tippet' when his little sister was taken away from him. His little sister who when she was, oooo, fourteen say, on holiday in Italy. Some pretty perverted vampire liked the look of her and chased her until she almost died. She was rescued by one Valerio Pazler who when she awoke with no knowledge of who she was or how she came to be took her to daybreak. But her big brother never forgot her. He left his parents to chase his sister who had presumed to be kidnapped by the mafia for a ransom. As no ransom arrived the brother presumed vampire and set up an organisation against them back in his home town. Now a national organisation the most deadly anti Night World run by humans in the world. And you are the cause Ms Tippet."

"Now I'm going to deal with my mistake and your friends, I hope you realise what you have done. Save me the bother of killing you." Ms Tippet fainted. Hell's fire left the room laughing loudly leaving the door unlocked. He didn't look back as he attacked a daybreaker and drained him dry.

-*-

Eternity's eyes opened with a start. Her head felt like a dead weight that her shoulders could not take. She stood hastily remembering in an instant what she was never to forget. She scrambled out the room almost falling in her haste. The dreary drab of her surroundings was covered in the layer of elusive black. The stretched of dried blood hung in the air. 

She stumbled almost as though drunk into the foyer of the warehouse. The shadow of a hung body stopped the lights from shining directly upon her. She fell forward with a sudden feel of dizziness. An arm caught her and she looked up into a face. She had met this man once a year or more ago but the same feel of trust and blackness arose in her. Cathcarte. He smiled and vanished into the black.

The shouting came into her confused mind. She looked up to see Carthage. He was shouting, his voice almost broken, at Hellfire. Next to him Valerio's hands crafted witchfire into a orange ball. Valerio seemed just to be playing with it not actually preparing it as a weapon. Hellfire himself looked angry though this was impossible as Hellfire never showed anger. Just hate. This was not hate.

The shouting was not so that she could comprehend it. The meaning however was clear. I don't like you. Carthage stopped to look at Eternity suddenly as if suddenly noticing her presence. When he turned back again his pupils had dilated his fangs extended. "What the hell did you do to her?" 

"She's perfectly fine. She's just found her brother. Coincidentally her brother just found God." 

"What the fuck?! Stop with your fucking riddles!" Hellsfire laughed. Valerio came over to Eternity. He smiled peacefully at her. He seemed almost happy. 

"Carthage wasn't ratting us out to Midday Sun. The spy was Wellington, Wellies mutt friend." Valerio informed her whilst picking her up and cradling her to his chest. Eternity shook her head. She looked up at him disbelivingly. It was getting to the stage where she didn't want to know anything any more. "We'd better be going anyway."

"Pardon? Wellington was a dog! How can he report on us? I'm not leaving." Valerio licked his lips animatedly.

"Dog shifter darling. And you don't get much choice in this." Valerio smiled as his legs buckled beneath him. His muscles stopped responding and she rolled out his arms onto the floor before the sound of the gunshot registered in his brain. He smiled up at her from the dirt as his eyes shut. Eternity yelped as the blood poured onto the ground from his back. 

This was the last she saw before another gunshot sent a shower of sparks from the suddenly black lights. She felt for Valerio, she heard his breathing but her wandering hands could not find him. "Valerio?" She queried into the unending black. She felt close behind her the end. Carthage was within grasping distance. 

He was not coming any closer. She turned to him holding her arms around his waist. They were as one in the war. She stood up with his help and they kept their arms intertwined as they walked out into the soft caressing moonlight. They as one looked up to see Hellfire. The wind whispered _soulmates_, the power was in the air. 

"Hello." Eternity whispered smiling. Michael Pope smiled in return, baring his fangs as he did so. They disconnected from each other moving to opposite sides of Hellfire. 

"So this is where you think you belong?" Hellfire asked looking directly at Carthage. Carthage's eyes had turned black with something that could not be identified as an known emotion. Smoldering within his soul he laughed. "With the humans. Your mother should have called you Hybrid. I'm sure glad you took your pathetic short lived mother's name." 

"I don't belong anywhere. Least of all with you and yours." Carthage circled Hellfire who circled back both were showing fangs. Eternity stepped back out of it all. 

"I never said you did. You don't belong anywhere because you never should have been born. Hybrids of mixed blood unclean and murderous. You proved that theory right." Hellfire sneered. Carthage snarled like the feral cats both he and Hellfire resembled. It was the only similarity between father and son.

"Soulmates, Hybrids. No such thing is there." Carthage snarled dancing closer upon Hellfire who dived passed and turned in a blink of an eye. Shots were heard from the warehouse. "Sounds like Midday Sun turned up a little late. I told them to come. Cathcarte will take back the body of Dover. To kill you, father, I reserved that honour for myself." 

Michael Pope laughed into the abysmal night. "You believe that hussy to be your soulmate? You do not know the meaning of the word." Michael Pope blew a kiss to Eternity who looked stalwartly back. "Son you will not kill me." Carthage drew out a gun smiling like a kid in a toy shop.

"Then Christmas has come early." Carthage returned pointing the wood stake tipped gun directly at Hellfire's head. "Say goodnight, daddy." Eternity swallowed nervously. Carthage lowered the gun his eyes fixed on the gun Eternity had held earlier. From Eternity's knowledge there was only one bullet left in and it was aimed directly at her forehead. Michael Pope's gaze however had never left his son as he levelled the gun directly at the girl's head. 

They pretty little triangle was interrupted by a sudden cry of anguish. From the warehouse came a half mad figure. Eternity had forgotten Hayley, her drunk friend who had disappeared that night in the warehouse. But Hayley apparently hadn't forgotten her. 

Hayley's once pretty face was married with scars, her clothes were ripped as to not even keep her dignity. Even with the bloody face the expression made the young girls appearance worse. As soon as she saw Eternity such a rage came upon her that had never been seen before. Hayley landed upon Eternity with such a force than it send the girls flying backwards. 

Hayley screamed as she scraped and tore at Eternity ripping her clothes and letting a small red rivulet mar her pale face. A single gunshot silenced the screams as a bullet firmly lodged itself in Hayley's brain. Carthage once again lowered his gun. He walked forward and kicked the dead human off Eternity. From behind him Hellfire watched with disgust. "Another one of your playthings gone wrong?" Carthage asked spitting at his father's feet. 

"Things have gone wrong this evening..." Hellfire murmured half to himself. "Where were we?" he asked smiling down at Eternity who was staring up at Carthage with tears forming. "Oh yes. Not dying." Hellfire levelled his gun at her head. 

Carthage pointed his gun at his father but lowered it a second later. "Leave. Let her be. But beware, I shall kill you not today, but tomorrow." Hellfire smirked and nodded looking at Eternity who was trying to stand. He smiled at the girl, mock bowed and walked away. 

bang

Eternity fell backwards as an unknown force drove her away from Carthage. 

A second later Carthage was by her side shouting, screaming, sobbing her name. Her eyes were fixed above to the half hidden moon and a small smile touched her lips, but she was as still as rock. Hell's fire laughed as he walked away swinging the now empty gun on one of his fingers.

But she still smiled up at that half-caste moon.

__

Do not stand at my grave and weep,

I am not there I do not sleep,

I am a thousand winds that blow,

I am the diamond glint on snow,

I am the sunlight on ripened grain,

I am the gentle autumn rain,

When you awaken in the morning hush

I am the swift uplifting rush,

Of quiet birds in circled flight,

I am the soft stars that shine at night,

Do not stand at my grave and cry,

I am not there,

I do not die


End file.
